


Brother of a Preacher

by lenfaz



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-26 19:03:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 45,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5016556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lenfaz/pseuds/lenfaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU:<br/>Emma moves to Storybrooke, Ohio with her son Henry to try to start a new life after her previous one fell apart. She wasn’t ready for life in a small town. The lovely residents. The welcoming preacher and his family. And most importantly, the sinful brother of the preacher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [brooke2broch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooke2broch/gifts).



_Killian was a preacher's brother  
And when his brother would visit he'd come along_

_Storybrooke, Ohio._ Nothing on the left, nothing on the right. Just a string of farm houses, three blocks of a main downtown and the soft breeze that exists when spring meets summer.

The bug rolls along the country road until she spots the farmhouse. Emma takes a side glance towards her son Henry on the passenger’s seat. He’s looking at the farmhouse with a soft smile and curious eyes and Emma thanks the stars that she was blessed with this kid.

It’s been three months since she and Neal split.  Once she’d caught him cheating on her with the next door neighbor, she had taken Henry and a few boxes and left the house they’d shared for the past four years. Here she is now, ready to take on the job as deputy under her good friend David Nolan in god forsaken Storybrooke, Ohio. She looks over at the farm where they will be staying with him, his wife Mary Margaret and their children Leo and Ava until she can get on her own two feet.

 _Oh well_ , _nothin’ but good times ahead,_ she deadpans to herself.

/-/

It had been almost a week of going from the farm to the sheriff station and from the station to the farm, going through the motions as she studied the local law and got acquainted with the current cases, taking care of small complaints and what not. At night, she curled into the armchair in her room, a glass of wine in her hand as she contemplated when this became her life.

In the blink of an eye, it was Friday afternoon and Mary Margaret was shamelessly encouraging her to leave the house.

“Listen, I’m not saying that you need to go out, but you _need_ to go out,” Mary Margaret told her over the dishes they were washing in the kitchen sink. “I’m pretty sure it’s been awhile since -” she cleared her throat demurely, “you _know_.”

“Are you telling me I need to go hook up with someone and get laid?” Emma hissed at her, clearly wondering if ten years of living in the countryside had finally made her friend crazy. “ _You_?”

“Emma, I’m not saying you should get laid, I’m just saying that you should have some fun, blow off some steam, you know, the basics…” Mary Margaret said. “It’s clear you have some frustration you need to work on.”

“I’ve just gotten here and you are suggesting I go pick up a stranger at the local bar? That is going to do wonders for my reputation,” Emma retorted.

“ _Not here_.” Mary Margaret rolled her eyes in exasperation, as if she were stating the obvious, “There’s a bar two towns from here that you could go to. It’s close enough for you to make it back at a reasonable hour and far enough away that you won’t run into any of the locals there.”

Emma hesitated, taking more time to dry the last dish she had in her hands.

“Hey!” Mary Margaret snapped, “I am more than willing to line up a few of the single, respectable men that I know from church and have them over for dinner. I could have done that, but you and I both know that  is not your style. I am giving you a way out and I suggest you take it, because David is already searching through his Wednesday night bowling buddies for a suitor and I know you think I am the worst, but trust me, _he_ is.”

Emma sighed, running her hand through her hair. She knew if she refused Mary Margaret today, she’d insist again tomorrow. And the day after. And then again. And again. One or two times. Per hour. Until she got what she wanted.

So Emma decided to cave now and grant her friend her wish. She could drive there, have a beer (or two), and then head back to the farm. She could even lie to Mary Margaret and tell her that she actually got some. _Wait_ , she couldn’t. Mary Margaret could spot a lie a mile away after being around third graders every single day. She groaned internally as she put the last dish in the cabinet and headed upstairs to get changed.

/-/

A bar. Well, I guess one _could_ call it a bar. It had a few booths in a corner, an improvised dance floor, dim lights, an old jukebox and a regular pool table. Nothing more, nothing less. She sat by the counter and motioned the bartender for a beer. She turned around as she took the first sip, her eyes scanning the room.

She spotted him standing by the jukebox, his shoulder leaning on the wall in a careless posture that she could bet was anything but careless. Tall, lean body, dark hair and a three-day scruff; he looked effortlessly striking. He looked like _trouble_. Her tongue darted out of her mouth inadvertently as she bit her lower lip. She hadn’t done this in years. Before Neal, or better put, in between Neal leaving her when Henry was a newborn and them trying again when he was six, Emma had had a fair share of one night stands. She was fairly good at picking up a random almost-stranger for the night, scratch that itch and then leaving before the sun was up. It was her way, it was the way it had worked for several years.

She just never thought she’d be back at this moment in her life, sitting in a bar while playing with her hair, stealing glances in the jukebox’s direction and waiting for the dark haired stranger to get the hint.

Which he clearly got as his eyes focused on her for a few moments before he pushed himself off the jukebox and walked towards her. She turned around and faced the bar, smiling proudly to herself, a childish sense of accomplishment that she still had it.

She felt a presence sliding into the seat next to hers and heard a thick voice speak before she had time to turn around:

“I would offer to buy a drink, but that would be setting up myself for failure because you already have one.” Emma turned around and stumbled upon the bluest eyes she’d seen in her life, and they were looking at her with mischief as he sipped his drink. He had classical features and an accented voice. A killer combination. “So I’m just wondering if I can keep you company tonight?”

She lifted an eyebrow in a master move she had perfected throughout the years, her lips curving in a soft smirk, “Wow, cutting right to the chase. Just like that?”

His eyebrows raised as he gave her an amused look. “ _Just like that_? I saw the way you were looking at me from across the bar,” he said, his tongue darting out of his mouth for a brief second, “and I noticed you the moment you entered the bar… so, why waste any time?” He shrugged as he leaned closer. “Either you are not interested... _or you are_?” he finished the sentence in an innuendo-laced voice, his blue eyes searching hers, an open invitation laid at her feet.

She smirked, taking a sip of her beer before she stood up, her arm and shoulder brushing his body as she did. “I might be. But I’m in the mood for some pool first,” she replied as she started to walk towards the pool table, not bothering to look back to see if he was following her.

She felt his hand on her lower back as he stepped by her side, his mouth caressing her ear, “I’ll rack ‘em.” His presence was gone the next minute, as he reached the table and started racking the balls. “I’m Killian,” he said as his eyes connected with hers.

“Emma.”

They were halfway through the game when things started to heat up a little. His arm would brush hers when it was his turn. She would bend over with a little more purpose to make her shot, taking some extra time to make a decision, and she could feel his eyes roaming all over her body. He would make his shots fast and sharp, before he would move to admire her stance, his intentions clear without even saying a word. Emma chuckled, trying hard to control the grin breaking across her face and she shook her head from side to side in amusement before taking her shot.

He lifted a cool eyebrow at her as he tried to get a read on whether she was laughing at him or with him. “What has you so amused, love?” he asked. “Anything I did?”

She leaned on the pool stick and tilted her head. “I know your type: get in, get what you want and get out.”

He took a few steps, invading her personal space, his voice nothing but a low whisper. “Only if that is what _they_ want.” He tilted his head, his eyes never leaving hers. “ And aren’t you the same, darling? It takes one to know one, after all.”

She smiled to concede his point. “I used to be. I haven’t done it in years.”

He cocked an eyebrow, and she could see the innuendo brewing in his mind, but suddenly his features softened into a curious look. “What changed?” he asked, interested, as he leaned in and positioned to make his shot.

“Let’s just say he was getting some on the side,” she said, noticing the way his jaw clenched at that comment. “What about you? Is this about getting something on the side?” she asked, “Because I am not interested in that.”

He shook his head. “Oh no,” he replied as he made his shot and stood up, leaning closer to her. “I’m all about no strings attached, no commitment… just some good ol’ fun as they call it around here,” he finished, cocking an eyebrow at her, his tongue playing with the corner of his mouth.

“How did a guy with an accent like yours end up in _Ohio_?” she asked, intrigued.

He all but swaggered closer to her, “You want to know my life story, love?” he asked with a cheeky grin.

She pondered his question for a moment. “No, not really.”

He leaned in closer, his tilted head only inches away from hers, “Good, because I can think of other ways we could spend this time together.”

“Do tell,” she said invitingly.

“Let me show you,” he whispered softly before closing the remaining distance and kissing her. His lips moved softly at the beginning, but the moment he felt her responding back to him, one of his hands gripped her hip. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss, his tongue stroking her lips to open them up to him.  Her hands moved to bury in his hair, her own movements meeting his as he inserted the pool stick between their bodies. She gasped as she felt the hard wood rubbing lightly between her thighs.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been kissed like this. Hell, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever been kissed like this. He discarded the pool stick on the table and spun her swiftly, pressing her against the edge of the table. One of his hands was now tugging at her hair while the other one moved slowly up from her hip, following the line of her waist before softly brushing against the curve of her breast as he continued kissing her. She gasped, her hands grabbing his hair to pull him even closer to her. She parted her legs and he took one step closer, pressing himself against the _right_ place, and she moaned softly at the contact.  He smirked against her lips before he broke the kiss, his lips tracing along her skin as he moved to whisper in her ear.

“Why don’t we move this to a more _private_ location.” His lips caressed the shell of her ear and she bit her lower lip to stifle another moan. “There’s a motel down the road, 2 miles south from here. Want to meet me there?”

“God, _yes_ ,” she agreed quickly

He pulled away, his blue eyes boring into hers, carrying a promise of _really good times ahead._ “I’ll go first, get us a room and wait for you at the entrance,” he whispered before leaning in to give her one long, sensual kiss. “See you there, love.”

Emma waited a few minutes before quickly making her way to the exit and into the parking lot. Her phone beeped with an incoming text as she got into the car and she quickly pulled it out from her pocket to check it.

_Henry has been coughing and has a fever. He’s asking for you. Can you get back? I’m sorry, MM_

She groaned in frustration, cursing at her bad luck as she hit her head against the wheel. She contemplated driving to the motel to explain, but it would involve precious time and she needed to get back to Henry immediately. And she didn’t want to get into her life details with a complete stranger. A few rounds under the sheets, _yes_. Domestic stories about sick children, _not so much_. She sighed as she started the car. She had to go back to the farm now and stand ‘tall, dark hair and probably great in bed’ up.

/-/

Saturday came and went as they spent time inside the house. Henry no longer had a fever, but he was still not feeling well. Emma could sense that while Henry had been adjusting really well to the town, it was still a lot for him to process. So the entire household spent their time watching movies and eating chocolate chip cookies that Mary Margaret had baked.

On Sunday, Mary Margaret ushered them all to church. Emma had refused at the beginning, but Mary Margaret had insisted that Emma needed to meet their preacher. Liam Jones was a pillar in the Storybrooke community, a young and kind man with a lovely wife and two boys. Emma still seemed hesitant, as she usually got more judgemental looks than anything by religious types, but David had stepped in and reassured her that Liam, who was one of his bowling buddies, was anything of the judging sort.

That is how she found herself sitting between Henry and Mary Margaret on one of the pews, listening to the sermon. She had to give it to Mary Margaret, the preacher did seem like a nice guy. His words, laced in a soft foreign accent, were kind and thorough, speaking of the way the Lord should guide us all to a life of understanding and care for others. He seemed sincere in his words and that prompted Emma to listen to him carefully, while her eyes scanned the small church for inspiration.

She jerked in her seat, involuntarily gasping as her eyes settled on the first row opposite her side where she spotted the dark haired stranger from Friday night. He was sitting, listening to the sermon with what seemed feigned interest. The noise of her sudden movements caused Mary Margaret to look at her and for him to turn around to see where the noise was coming from. His eyes found her and his face twisted in shock first, followed by recognition. A dangerous smirk came to his face as his tongue darted to the corner of his mouth and he slowly turned his head back to the front.

 _Fuck_. She winced mentally, scolding herself for the thought of such language inside the church.

When the service was over, Emma and Henry quickly followed the Nolans outside, where the preacher was greeting people. There was a tall blonde dressed in a blue summer dress next to him and two small boys a few years younger than Henry.

“Liam,” Mary Margaret said, “this is Emma and Henry. Emma started working with David at the station.”

“It’s great to finally meet you, Emma,” Liam said cordially, his hand darting out to shake hers, his smile genuine. “This is my wife, Elsa and our children, Declan and Phin.”

Elsa smiled brightly at Emma, who smiled back, tucking a strand of hair nervously behind her ear, quickly stealing glances towards where people were gathering outside the church. She was hoping this man - Killian - had already left, as she wanted to avoid any awkward situations.

And then she heard that accented voice that had given her one or two _very vivid_  dreams in the past two nights. “I finally get to meet our new deputy. Sheriff Nolan here has kept you hidden like a very dirty secret,” he said as he materialized out of nowhere and stood next to the preacher, his eyes focused on Emma.

“Killian!” Elsa exclaimed, but Killian just gave her a sideways glance and a small smile before turning his attention back to Emma.

Liam ran his hand through his hair, “Emma, this man who _clearly_ has no sense of propriety is my little brother.”

“ _Younger brother_ ,” Killian corrected and Emma’s eyes widened in shock. Standing side by side, she could see the resemblance between the two, especially in their blue eyes. But while Liam’s eyes were crystal clear and friendly, Killian’s were a shade darker and very dangerously roaming over her. He moved to take the hand she had offered in her surprise, but instead of shaking it, he took it slowly towards his lips, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Killian Jones, milady, at your service. _Welcome to Storybrooke, love_.”

Emma had only one thought at that moment. She was screwed.

And if Killian Jones had any say in the matter, she could tell from the hooded look underneath his eyelashes, the sideways smirk he was giving her and the way his lips brushed her knuckles a little more than what could have been considered proper, _she was going to get thoroughly screwed_.

_Six ways til Sunday._


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There isn't much to do on Storybrooke, Ohio on a Sunday afternoon. Oh wait, maybe there is :P

_When they gathered around and started talkin'_   
_That's when  Killian would take me walkin'_   
_Out through the back yard we'd go walkin'_

Killian shifted in the couch of his brother’s living room, lost in his own thoughts. He hadn’t expected to encounter the delicious blonde again after she ditched him on Friday; let alone as a new member of his brother’s parish. When his gaze locked on hers at the entrance of the church, and he saw her eyes dilating and her mouth parting softly, a quick rush ran through his body. He could still feel her lips moving against his while her hips ground him as he gripped her firmly on the edge of that pool table, the soft moan she stifled against his scruffy cheek.

_Intoxicating_.

He’d been unable to form any rational thought after he’d heard her moan, mustering the last remnants of his reason to suggest they’d move to a better location. He’d waited eagerly for her, with a sense of anticipation he hadn’t felt in a conquest for a long time. After the minutes passed and he realized she wasn’t coming; a small pang of regret had washed over him. Whatever game they’d played in the bar; she’d decided not to go through with it. He’d sighed, run a hand through his hair and contemplated going back to the bar. The night was young and he could still find someone to spend a few hours with… But the taste of her lips on his wouldn’t abandon him and somehow, it didn’t feel right.

So, for the first time, in a very long time, Killian Jones returned home alone on a Friday night, without getting some tail, his mind filled with the image of a blonde temptress bending over a pool table to make her shot.

And then divine intervention had delivered that same blonde to him on a Sunday morning, all bravado gone from her face and only a blush tint on her cheeks.

“Killian?” Elsa’s voice brought him back to reality. He turned around to find his sister-in-law smiling softly at him.

“We are heading out to visit the Nolans.”

Killian furrowed his brows in confusion, “I thought they usually came here on Sunday evenings?” He wasn’t going to admit it out loud, as he usually bailed shortly after the Nolans showed up with their kids; but this time he was hoping perhaps the evasive blonde deputy would join them. He was eager to see her again, perhaps lure her into a secluded corner of his brother’s house and inquire as to why she’d stood him up on Friday night. If things went well, he could even suggest they meet again on Friday night at the bar, try to relive a little of those wonderful moments where his body was pressed against hers.

Elsa turned around. “They usually do, but Emma, the new deputy is staying with them.” She wandered through the living room, picking up toys and didn’t notice Killian’s eyebrows cocking in delighted surprise. Elsa continued with her explanation, “Her son Henry has been sick since Friday night and they don’t feel like coming here, so we are going to the farm instead.”

So… that might the reason why she bailed on him on Friday. _Interesting_.

Killian slowly sat up, so he wouldn’t look too eager, and it was enough for Liam to arrive with his nephews in the living room. Elsa finished gathering her things and joined them.

“I’ll go with you,” Killian said, making it sound as if it were something that he decided in the spur of the moment.

“You?” Elsa asked, confused.

“I have nothing better to do anyway… might as well join you.” Killian shrugged, feigning nonchalance as he stood up. “I haven’t been to the farm in a while, it might be fun.”

Elsa ushered the kids down to the front door while Killian headed in that direction as well, but Liam cut him off, his hand coming to stop him.

“Killian, what are you up to?” Liam asked, his eyes searching his little brother’s face.

“Nothing, Liam,” Killian replied, a little too innocently. “I’m just in the mood for some good family and friends time.”

“ _Killian_ ,” Liam said with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

“Why don’t you save the lecture for next Sunday, brother?” Killian replied. “I have no intentions of doing anything wrong today.”

_Not today, at least. We’ll see about the rest of the week._

He patted his brother on the shoulder. “I’ll follow you with my car.”

/-/

“Emma!” Mary Margaret called as she headed towards the door. “Liam and his family are coming to visit. We usually go to their house, but with Henry a little under the weather they decided to come here instead. Is that ok?”

“It’s your house, of course it is.” Emma silently prayed that the visiting party didn’t include a certain dark haired younger brother with blue eyes and a sinful smirk.

“Oh, look at that!” Mary Margaret peered out the window, “Killian came too. He usually never does.”

_Of fucking course._

Emma froze for a second before she pulled herself together, masking her freaking out with a smile plastered on her face.

Mary Margaret turned around and gave her a sweet smile. “I guess they all want to come and make you feel welcomed to town.”

_Oh yes, he wants to come. For sure._

Emma mentally chastised herself as Mary Margaret opened the door and the preacher and his wife entered the house, followed by their kids. And right behind them entered the devil in a leather jacket, his hair disheveled and as fucking gorgeous as he was in the bar two days ago. He lifted his head and his eyes connected directly with hers, a lopsided smirk appearing on his face before turning to give Mary Margaret a hug and shake David’s hand. A wave of heat ran through her as memories of his touches came back to her. She could feel the blush coming to her cheeks and she schooled her features in hopes not to reveal the effect the preacher’s brother was having on her.

Emma’s eyes followed his movements apprehensively before Liam’s voice distracted her and she turned her attention back to the preacher and his wife.

/-/

“It’s a surprise to have you here,” David said.

“Aye, I haven’t been on the old farm in such a long time,” Killian said, reaching to scratch behind his ear while he stole a glance in Emma’s direction, only to find her looking at him as well.

She averted her gaze the moment their eyes connected and refocused on her conversation with Liam and Elsa. Killian’s eyes followed her stealthily, admiring the way the natural light reflected on her blonde hair and the way the simple lines of the sweater she wore accentuated her features. She was beautiful even without make up or bar outfits. Perhaps even more beautiful, he thought as he watched how at ease she looked in her own environment as she talked animatedly with Elsa and Liam. His brother had a way to make even the most skittish person feel comfortable and he could witness Emma reacting to that, her shoulders relaxing and her hands moving to emphasize her words. He smiled to himself before the sound of a few steps above him caught his attention.

A brown haired boy came running down the stairs. He couldn’t be more than a few years older than his nephews, with a freckled face and an innocent smile. Killian had spotted him briefly running around the churchyard that morning.

“You must be our new town resident,” Killian said amicably, and from the corner of his eye he spotted Emma quickly coming their way, her behavior drastically different from the easiness she had only seconds ago. Her hands were fidgeting and her eyes darted from him to her son nervously.

“Hi, I’m Henry,” the kid said in a friendly, open tone as Emma reached him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him towards her.

“Nice to meet you, Henry, I’m Killian,” he smiled, his eyes never leaving the boy. He’d heard a little of the backstory of how the new deputy had ended up in Storybrooke, it was a small town after all. He knew she had a son and had just moved after a bad breakup, and the little information he picked up on at the bar had helped him put the pieces together. It seemed only logical that Emma would be nervous about him being around her boy.  “I heard you were not feeling well,” he added softly in what he hoped was a friendly tone.

“I’m much better now, thanks.” Henry turned his head towards Emma. “Mom, can we go play video games?”

Emma sighed, a soft smile coming to her face. “Just for an hour and be sure to share with the others,” she said, her hand ruffling her son’s hair, a serene expression on her face. It suited her, Killian thought, a lazy Sunday afternoon feeling coming over him.

Killian watched Henry walk towards his nephews and the Nolan’s kids. His eyes scanned the room and found Elsa, Liam, David and Mary Margaret already deep in conversation. He smiled to himself before he gazed at Emma again. She was standing there, looking at him apprehensively.

“I don’t bite, love.” He couldn’t resist jesting with her. “ _Unless you ask_.”

Her eyes flickered to the living room quickly, as if she were frightened that they might have heard him, but he knew the others were already caught up in their world and not paying attention to them. He took one step closer and watched as she fought the urge to take a step back. “It occurs to me that I don’t even know your last name, Emma…”

“Swan,” she said clearing her throat. “Emma Swan.”

_Swan_. It fit her. Her eyes bore into his intensely as she licked her lips and she balanced back and forth on her feet; the movement bringing his attention to the fine lines of her body. Suddenly, the thoughts he’d been entertaining the moment he saw her again came back to him, temptation too hard to resist as he was standing close to her in the hall.

“Let’s go take a walk, Swan.” He tilted his head in an inviting gesture.

Emma fidgeted with her hands as she shuffled her feet on the floor and looked back towards the others worryingly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said hesitantly.

“It’s a lovely afternoon, the kids are entertained, and the adults are deep in conversation. Unless you want to stay and listen as they discuss the latest parish issues and actions to take,” he suggested, cocking an eyebrow at her. “I’m your best option for a fun time.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, and he could see a glimpse of the seductive blonde he’d met on Friday.

“Come on, lass. What do you have to lose?” he said in an inviting tone. She tilted her head, as if to ponder her options. A lopsided smirk came to her face and she bit her lower lip and walked right passed him to the door, her shoulder brushing his body as she did. At the very last second, her hand reached to hook his belt loop and pull him softly in her direction.

He smirked before he swiftly followed, getting a few steps ahead to open the door for her. “We are going for a walk!” he called to the others and didn’t bother to wait for a reaction. His hand moved instantly to her lower back as he guided her outside the front yard. Once they were down the front steps, however, she distanced herself from him. He smiled and started walking towards the side of the house and into the adjacent field.

“I haven’t been here in a long time,” Killian said as he continued walking slowly, letting the afternoon sun warm him.

“You came here often?” she asked curiously.

“Widow Lucas used to own this farm. You might know her as Granny, from the diner,” Killian explained. “She used to live here with her granddaughter until she went to college. Granny sold the farm to David a few years ago and moved to an apartment above the diner. Ruby and I went to high school together.”

“You’ve lived here for that long?” she asked curiously.

“Curious about my life story again, Swan?” he teased, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“No, not really,” she admitted with a hint of mischief in her eyes. “I’m sure there are other more interesting things you probably have in mind for this _fun_ that you promised me, don’t you?”

He chuckled as he tilted his head to the side, taking a moment to appreciate her flirtatious reply. They reached the barn and Killian ushered her in before shutting the door behind him. His gaze travelled around the place as he removed his leather jacket and laid it over a haystack.

“This place brings back a few memories.” He picked a strand of hay and rolled it between his fingers before looking at her.

“Let me guess: you and Ruby liked to get frisky in the barn back in school,” she deadpanned at him.

He chuckled. “Once or twice. Until she decided older boys were more interesting.” He turned around and decided to cut to the chase. “So, your lad was sick on Friday night?”

She averted her eyes, “Yeah, I - I”

“I thought you stood me up because you weren't interested.” He shrugged his shoulders casually.

“No, I was,” she confirmed, sidling towards him. “But then Mary Margaret called and I had to get home.”

He took a few steps towards her. “It’s ok, Swan, no worries.” He searched her features in the daylight, her beauty making his breath catch.

She squinted her eyes at him, her mouth pouting to the side. “What?” she asked.

He swayed closer to her, his hand almost reaching her waist. “You look beautiful in daylight, even more breathtaking than I remember.” Her eyes grew wide as she sucked in a breath.

“What are you doing?” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Are you looking to relive some of your high school memories?” she asked flirtatiously.

He tilted his head, his body almost touching hers. “I recall I promised you some fun and I didn’t deliver.”

“It wasn’t your fault I missed out on the _fun_ ,” she said, her soft voice carrying a hint of desire.

“True, but a gentleman keeps his promises.” He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes watched as the green in hers turned a darker shade. She gave him the same look she’d given him at the bar. “And I’m always a gentleman,” he finished, leaning in and brushing his lips against hers.

He felt her lips moving against his and he threw seduction out of the window, kissing her fiercely and pulling her flush against him. She kissed him back with the same fervor, her hands burying in his hair as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss.

He groaned when her tongue flicked his lower lip and he guided her a few steps forward until her back made contact with one of the haystacks. He picked her up and set her there, pressing his body fully against hers and she gasped at the contact. It ignited the same fire in him that he’d felt the night they met and he almost lost control over his desire completely. His hand moved to caress her ass and down her thigh until he grabbed her knee and hooked her leg over his hips. The movement aligned her core with the front of his jeans, his growing erection rubbing against her.

“I haven’t been able to get you off my mind, love,” he whispered against her neck, his lips pressing featherlight kisses as he ground his hips against hers. “And I think it’s because we need to finish what we started the other night...”

_“Fuck, yes,_ ” she panted breathlessly and he sucked on her neck in response. She stifled a moan as she grabbed his head and pulled him up to kiss her again. He happily obliged as he kept rubbing himself against her, his hand travelling beneath her sweater and up her side. He found her breast and groped it softly. Using his thumb, he stroked her nipple over the fabric of her bra and she gasped in his mouth.

_Intoxicating_. She was intoxicating and all he wanted at the moment was to make her fall apart under his touch and enjoy every second of it.

He kept his pace, moving his hips against hers, his hand freeing one of her breasts from the fabric of her bra as he pinched her nipple, desperate to feel her soft skin against his hand. He could feel her body responding, her need building up and he wanted more than anything to give this wonderful temptress the fun she deserved on a Sunday afternoon.

With one hand, he kept caressing her breast, and his other hand moved to undo the button of her jeans and lower down the zipper. He ignored his throbbing ache as the need to touch every inch of her skin overwhelmed him. He caressed the spot above her underwear before he maneuvered underneath the fabric. She gasped when his fingers finally reached their destination and he smirked against her lips, feeling a rush of satisfaction at the way she was enjoying his touch. “Having fun now, love?” He said in a sultry voice as he stroked her lightly, almost losing his mind at the heat she was radiating and the raw desire she was fueling in him, but he kept himself in control as he worked her body towards her release. When he felt her body starting to shake, her gasps more insistent, he picked up the pace of his strokes.

She moaned when she came and he reached to silence those glorious sounds with his mouth, his fingers still stroking her, his own desire almost overwhelming at the feel of her body shivering against his.

He slowed down his movements as she came down from her high until his hand stilled. Removing his hands from her breast and jeans, he slowly unhooked her leg from his hip. He eased her back from the hay bale, and caught her in his arms as she swayed a little when she slipped down off of it, never ending the press of his lips against hers.

When he finally pulled away, he met her beaming smile and flushed face and he knew it was a sight that he wanted to see again. _Soon_. And hopefully in a more comfortable location that would allow them to _fully_ enjoy one another. She studied him for a moment, before a satisfied smirk came to her face and she leaned in to capture his lips in a deep kiss that he happily reciprocated, his hand tangling in her hair.

“That was…” she said.

“Please don’t say a one-time thing, love,” he said hopefully.

She chuckled as she shook her head, her eyes travelling down to where his body wasn’t hiding the effect their encounter had on him. Lifting her eyes and looking at him, she raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

He shook his head. “What I have in mind for you deserves more than a barn, love. _You_ deserve more than a barn,” he finished as he leaned in, capturing her lips in another soft, yet passionate kiss.

He reluctantly pulled away and gave her time to get her clothes back in order and brushed the stray straws off of her pants. He turned around and he willed his own body to come down from the high he’d been in. Now was not the time for that. God forbid his brother, the _preacher_ or David, the _sheriff_ , caught him with Emma on the barn. He wasn’t sure which one would beat him to the pulp first.

He went to grab his jacket and turned around to face her. “Perhaps it would be wise if I take a few more minutes before I returned to the house.” He scratched behind his ear. “But you go ahead, tell the others I wanted to check on a few sights that brought some memories back. They- they’d understand.” He finished in a slight nervous tone.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Aye. But don’t fret. Even if I don’t make it back for dinner - because they are staying for dinner - I’ll see you soon, love. This is a small town after all.” He smirked cheekily at her. “I hope you had an _enjoyable_ afternoon after all.”

She rolled her eyes before she gave him a small but sincere smile. “Goodbye Killian.”

“Goodbye, Emma.” He resisted the urge to kiss her again and promptly headed towards the door.


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There isn’t much to do during the week either :P

  
_Then he'd look into my eyes_  
 _Lord knows, to my surprise_  
 _The only one who could ever reach me_  
 _Was the brother of a preacher man_

**_Living in Storybrooke, Ohio: Week 2_ **

Once again she drove from the farm to the station and from the station to the farm, with no stops in between. Straight through, and without letting anything distract her. And why was she in such a hurry to get to work each morning and straight home each evening? Emma needed to focus on getting the hang of the local law and better understand how to assist David as deputy; _that was why_.

It had nothing to do with a certain tall, dark haired, blue eyed, _I gave you a mindblowing orgasm_ _in a barn_ , brother of the local preacher.

Nope. _Not at all._

He hadn’t stayed for dinner on Sunday. Killian had come back about twenty minutes later and made some apologies about wanting to head back home. It struck Emma as odd that Mary Margaret hadn’t insisted he stayed, but only nodded with a soft smile on her face. Liam squinted his eyes for a second, his gaze darting from Emma to Killian and for a moment she feared he might have guessed something. But the suspicious expression was quickly gone and Liam patted his brother's shoulder. Emma had been relieved that she wouldn’t have to deal with Killian in front of her friends and his family, but she’d also been a bit disappointed.

Killian had lifted his eyes and given her a smile that had just the right amount of smirk hidden underneath, his eyebrows slightly raising before he wished her a good evening just like a good ol’ boy scout.

Yeah. _Right_.

She hadn’t been avoiding _him_ \- that wasn’t it. She was avoiding _everyone_ in the town, and he just happened to be included with the lot. Getting used to fraternizing with local folks was going to take her some time. She was a city girl, used to the anonymity and the civilized rudeness of just nodding your head slightly when you run into someone. Small talk, keen interest and sharing local traditions was not her thing, and she would avoid them at all costs. If using those evasive tactics could help her avoid running into Killian and the temptation to give him a fun time of her own - throwing all her caution to the wind - well that was just an added bonus, a benefit of sorts. The last thing she needed was to become the hot gossip of the week in a town she’d spent less than a month in.

She just wasn’t sure who was benefiting from it, though, considering the nights she had spent tossing and turning in her bed.

She was developing quite the literature habit on the other hand, choosing to pass the hours of her self-imposed exile by reading. There wasn’t much else to do in Storybrooke and all other activities involved going into town. So she’d picked up a book one night and rekindled her relationship with the written word. But Mary Margaret’s book collection was rather dull, if she were to be honest. And a little outdated.

So Thursday afternoon, after leaving work a little earlier because David forced her to, she decided to check the local bookstore for some new reading material. _The Jolly Bookstore_ was located on Main Street, just a short walking distance from the station. Well, everything was walking distance in downtown Storybrooke.  Emma pushed the door open and entered the bookstore, turning around to shut the door behind her, her back towards the interior of the shop.

“So you finally decided to come look for me, love.” She froze at the sound of the lilting voice.

_You have got to be kidding me._

She turned around, her eyes landing on Killian casually sitting on a stool by the register.

“You work at a bookstore?” she asked, bewildered.

He tilted his head, his tongue darting out to wet his lower lip, “I _own_ a bookstore, Swan.” He cocked an eyebrow at her, “I assume you were not aware of that and this is not a social visit?”

She sighed. “You assume well. I was looking for some books.”

His face faltered for a brief second as he stood up and moved behind the counter. He slipped past her to one of the shelves, his arm brushing hers as he did. She could feel her body waking up just by that single touch.

“I haven’t seen you around town much,” he said almost uncaringly, but she could see his hand reaching to scratch behind his ear.

“I- I’ve been busy,” she deadpanned.

“With what? Mrs. Thomas complaining about Matt Limkinson’s dog barks or that the Scholar’s children ruined her petunias on purpose?” He turned around and crossed his arms over his chest.

She felt her face blushing and she tried to breathe deeply. She didn’t owe him any explanations but she couldn’t help feeling guilty at the slight hint of disappointment in his voice.

“Were you trying to avoid me, Emma?” he asked sincerely. When she didn’t reply, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I thought you had a good time the other day, but it seems I’ve misread the situation.”

“No.” Emma reacted at the hidden regret in his words. “ _I did_ , but it’s not that simple,” she trailed off, not knowing how to really say it.

Killian seemed to pick on the intent of her words, because he gave her a sad smirk as he averted his eyes. “Aye. I presume it was one thing to have a dalliance with a stranger in a bar, but the new deputy probably has a _reputation_ to uphold, right?”

She cocked an eyebrow at him, not quite appreciating the tone in his voice. “And don’t you have a reputation as well?”

“And what would that one be?” He asked smugly, his head tilting to the side.

She hesitated. For everything that she’d heard about people in town, Killian had not been a topic of conversation. Not much, at least. But she’d seen the way he handled himself in the bar. She _knew_ his type. “Well, you seem to be the town resident playboy, single and never wanting to settle down.”

He chuckled, “ _Almost._ More like town resident widower who decided he didn’t want to be pitied and set up on multiple dates until he could find love again.” His right hand moved to fidget with his left ring finger, searching to play with a ring that was no longer there. He ducked his head and Emma’s heart shrank, feeling embarrassed for assuming she knew anything about his story. Really, she should learn to keep her mouth shut. Her eyes scanned him, his shoulders were slightly slouched, his head was focused on the floor and his necklace was hanging out, a simple gold band visible among the charms.

She ran her hand through her hair. “Look, I’m sorry,” she said and Killian lifted his head to look at her, his eyes carrying a hint of sadness in them. “This whole thing is new to me,” Emma admitted and he cocked an eyebrow mischievously at her. She rolled her eyes at him. “I mean the small town thing, where everyone knows each other and I can’t deal with it, ok? It was easy in Boston, you go to the other side of the city and chances are you are never going to run into the person again. But here, I went two towns over and I still ran into _you_ ,” she added, frustrated, before her tone dropped an octave and she voiced her deepest concern. “Henry goes to school here. _People talk_.”

Killian took a few hesitant steps towards her, raising his hands in a soothing gesture. “Hey - stop. _I get it, Swan_. I was raised in this mentality. I-” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Forget about it and let’s just focus on getting you something _enjoyable_ for your evenings.” He cocked an eyebrow at her and his tongue darted out of his mouth. “And I mean _books_.”

She rolled her eyes again before giving him a small smile. He turned around and walked towards the bookshelves again. Emma tried not to, but she couldn’t avoid her eyes lowering down to admire Killian’s lean figure clad in tight blue jeans. He reached out to grab a book from the upper shelf and she tilted her head to the side, appreciating the way his shoulder and arm muscles flexed and his shirt lifted a little, showing the hint of a hipbone.

Suddenly, the nights curled up on her sofa reading a book were looking very dull. It wasn’t like she didn’t want the man. She did. _A lot_. He still featured as the leading man in the _very vivid_ dreams she’d been having each night, their encounter in the barn only fueling more accurate depictions to be present in her dreams. She knew now how his lips moved against her skin, how his touch felt when he’d caressed the skin above her underwear, how his fingers’ strokes against her sensitive flesh would trigger pleasurable sensations running all over her body. Each night she’d been reminded of that in her dreams, and she’d woken up with her body screaming for her to go find him and get a repeat performance.

An idea started nesting in her head. Perhaps, if they were careful, no one would ever know… _at least she could try it once._

“Please don't tell me you are into trashy romance novels, Emma. If you are interested in that, I am more than happy to oblige in some fantasies, love,” Killian said smugly.

Emma schooled her features as he slowly turned around, a small book with a shirtless man and a woman in an interesting state of undress on the cover. She shook her head and he gave her a flashy smile. He turned around again, searching for something else and Emma walked towards the entrance door of the shop to appreciate the view of his body from a different angle, one that perhaps would give her a peek of the skin beneath his shirt.

If Killian noticed her movements and her eyes roaming over him, he didn’t say anything as he turned around again. “Classics?”

She shook her head again, biting her lower lip in a small seductive manner. He seemed to pick up on this because he tilted his head to the side confused. “What are you playing at, Swan?”

“Nothing,” she replied in feigned innocence, “what else do you have to _show me_?”

He raised an eyebrow and walked until he was facing her, leaning against the door. “Crime novels? One would think a member of the police force wouldn’t want to take their work home with them. But nothing ever exciting happens in Storybrooke, so...” he trailed off, his eyes boring into hers. 

Emma leaned on the door giving him a seductive smile. “Perhaps something on the back shelves?”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise and she mimicked the movement. “I don't’ know, lass. I do keep some interesting things back there,” his voice was low and rich and it was tugging at her belly in a delicious way, “but I am not sure they would appeal to you, considering your aforementioned statement.”

_Touché_.

She lifted her hand to trail a finger down his shirt, feeling him tense under her touch. “I might have reconsidered my initial statement.”

He gave her a sinful smirk. “I assume we don’t want to be interrupted?” His hand reached around her to lock the door. 

She reached to flip the sign from _Open_ to _Closed._ “You assume correctly.” She boldly grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the door. Killian grinned and moved forward to lead her to the back.

Several shelves with neatly stacked books, natural light and the smell of paper and ink filled the backroom. Killian headed towards one of the shelves at the far end of the room. He disentangled his hand from hers to reach out and pick up a book from the top shelf.

“There are a few authors that write fast paced crime novels that you might enjoy. They have good plots and they’ll keep you entertained at night,” he said in an unsteady voice, and she could almost swear there was a hint of nervousness in it. When he turned around, she was standing very close to him, so close that she could see him swallowing as his eyes darted briefly to her lips. Her own eyes roamed from his lips to the chest hair visible above his slightly unbuttoned black shirt, and she licked her lips unconsciously.

“Emma?” Killian asked and she could still feel his hesitation in lieu of her previous confession about small town gossip.

_“To hell with small town gossip.”_   She leaned in and captured his lips with hers, her arms travelling to his neck to pull him closer to her. She heard the soft thud of a book falling to the floor and in a second his arms had circled around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss, his tongue stroking hers in a rhythmic movement, his hands now travelling to grab her hips.

_The man could kiss._

She moaned as his lips continued to move against hers expertly, her hands burying in his hair. He spun them around, pressing her back against the shelf and his body flush against hers. He rolled his hips as his lips travelled to press kisses on her throat and she gasped at the friction of his front against her core. She ground her hips against his to match his movements, and he groaned as he rested his forehead on her shoulder, trying to catch his breath.

“God, you feel so good,” he whispered.

“I haven’t done much yet,” she replied huskily.

He pulled away so he was looking at her, his blue eyes shining with something close to reverence. “You are letting me kiss you, love. That was more than what I hoped for only a few moments ago.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his finger softly caressing her cheek and he leaned in to press a soft kiss against her lips. She kissed him back softly, almost sweetly, a little stunned by the underlying care in his words and his touch. But soon that dire need she’d been trying to deny for days came rushing back in and she grabbed the collar of his shirt and deepened the kiss. He parted her legs with his knee and his hand travelled up the length of her body towards her breast. She gasped in appreciation when his hand finally reached its destination and he fondled her softly.

“I have a confession to make,” he whispered against her skin.

“What?” Emma asked, her hands moving underneath the fabric of his shirt to feel his skin against her fingertips.

Killian groaned as her fingers grazed one of his nipples. “I was going mad with the need to see you - I truly considered showing up to the farm yesterday.”

“Really?” Her tongue darted out to lick his earlobe. “What else did you consider doing?”

“Getting into trouble and having the deputy come to arrest me.” He pulled away and gave her a sinful smirk.  “Do you keep your handcuffs with you all the time, Swan?”

Her hand travelled down his torso slowly, her palm flat against the muscles in his abs feeling what she thought would be a _very_ happy trail.  She finally removed her hand to graze it softly against his belt. His hips twitched and he ground against her thigh. She smirked mischievously and removed the handcuffs from her back pocket to show him.

Killian’s eyes darkened before he pounced on her, groaning as his mouth plundered hers and she gave back as much as she was getting, feeling the need build up in her.

When they finally broke the kiss, both panting and chests heaving, his hand closed on hers, grabbing the handcuffs as well.

“I’d love for you to handcuff me to a bed, love,” he said in a deep voice.

“Well, I have the handcuffs, do you have a bed lying around?” Emma countered, her tongue licking her lips.

“I actually live upstairs,” he smirked.

“How convenient.” Emma cocked an eyebrow at him.

Killian pressed a soft kiss to her earlobe. “Well, it reduces the commute drastically.”

“Because rush hour traffic in Storybrooke is a problem.” Emma ground her hips against him as she pressed closer.

He kissed her jaw. “Perhaps you’d be interested in…” he trailed off as he gave her a searing kiss.

“Perhaps I would,” she whispered softly against his lips.

The sound of a door closing broke them out of their moment and had them both freezing on the spot.

“I thought you locked the door!” Emma said in slight panic.

“ _I did_ ,” Killian hissed, “No one could have gotten in unless they have a key. _Bloody Hell,”_ he whispered.

“Killian, brother, are you in the back?” Liam’s voice called from the front room.

_Fuck me._

Emma hit her head on Killian’s chest. “This cannot be happening,” she whispered frantically, as she looked around and realized there wasn't a place for her to hide from view. Killian pulled her closer to him, his arms and body closing over her protectively, trying to shield her. Liam’s footsteps became louder until he barged into the room.

“Killian, why are you closed so ear- Oh Gods!” Liam said as he watched the scene in front of him, which involved his little brother in a very compromising position in the backroom of his bookstore with a blonde woman that he could not yet identify.

“Liam,” Killian cleared his throat and Liam undoubtedly closed the mouth that had been hanging open in astonishment. “I’m a little occupied at the moment, can you come by later?”

“Sure, of course, my apologies.” Liam started to retreat when his eyes caught a shiny glimpse of metal in his brother’s hand. Were those _handcuffs_? Suddenly the blonde looked familiar.

“Emma!?” Liam asked in disbelief.

Emma blushed, burrowing closer to Killian’s chest as Killian groaned in frustration at his brother.

“Really, brother? Wasn’t it clear from our positions that the lady _didn’t_ want to be identified?”

Liam blushed and he scratched behind his ear. “How was I supposed to know!?”

The brotherly banter, adding to the mortification of being caught groping Killian in broad daylight by the town preacher, was more than what Emma could handle.

She quickly disentangled herself from Killian and avoided everyone’s gaze as she put her clothes in order and ran a hand through her hair. She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment, but she forced herself to look at Killian.

“I should go,” she said with all the dignity she could muster and didn’t give Killian time to retort. “Goodbye, Killian.”

She averted her gaze to the floor as she started walking; but she hadn’t even gotten to the middle of the room when Killian’s voice called her. “ _Emma!_ ”

She turned around and her eyes met his, a sheepish expression in them. Then she turned her gaze towards his hand, where he was still holding the handcuffs.

_God, please make a hole in the earth and swallow me whole right now._

“Yeah, right,” she said feebly as she reached to grab the handcuffs and after that she just turned around and left hastily, without looking back.

Liam had watched the entire scene, dumbfounded, and he turned his attention to Killian the moment he heard the front door closing.

“What is going on!?” he demanded.

Killian was hastily tucking his shirt back into his pants. “Not right now, I have something to do.”

“ _Killian_.”

“Not right now, Liam!” Killian yelled as he made his way towards the front door. He was out in an instant, his eyes searching for Emma. He spotted her only a few yards away and he ran in her direction.

“Swan!” he called in a soft voice, careful not to catch anybody else’s attention.

She stopped and slowly turned around, her cheeks flushed. “Please don’t,” she said embarrassed.

“Let me take you out,” he blurted out.

She opened her mouth agape and he took that chance to finish his speech. “We can go to another town. No one - no one needs to know. Please Emma, let me take you out. Just once,” he pleaded.

Emma hesitated for a second, as she watched him standing there, his eyes boring into hers. She was probably going to regret it if she said yes. And she was surely going to wonder her entire life if she said no.

“Ok,” she said. “But I’m busy tomorrow.”

“Saturday?” he asked and she nodded slightly.

Killian’s face broke into a grin, before he reached for his back pocket, pulling out a card and a pen. He wrote down something on the back of it and handed it to her.

“My number. Call me or text me and we’ll make the arrangements.” His fingers caressed hers as he gave her the card. “See you Saturday, love,” he said as he turned around smiling broadly. 


	4. IV

_The only boy who could ever teach me_   
_Was the brother of a preacher man_   
_Yes he was, he was, ooh, yes he was_

Killian faced his brother’s stern gaze when he entered his shop again and he quickly tried to hide his smile.

“Killian, what is going on?” Liam asked, trying to mask the anger in his tone.

“You should bloody well learn how to knock, brother, that is what is going on!” Killian huffed annoyed.

“Killian, you can’t possibly be thinking of pursuing Emma.” Liam ran a hand through his hair as he paced around the bookstore.

“ _Why not_?” He asked nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders and feigning slight disinterest.

“She lives _here_!” Liam yelled. “Look, I am not oblivious to all the _activities_ you conduct, but you usually have the decency to do it far away from the town. Do you really have to go after the town’s new deputy?”

“Trust me, brother, she came into that backroom willingly,” Killian said smugly.

“ _Killian_ ,” his brother admonished him but Killian raised his hand and didn’t let him finish.

“I’m a bloody adult, Liam and I don’t need nor want you preaching to me about this. I’ll do whatever I want, with whomever I want.”

“You’re making a mistake, Killian. This can only end badly.”

“You’re not interfering in my personal life, Liam,” Killian said challengingly.

After a few moments of silence, Liam sighed, “Alright, let’s leave this for now… are you coming tomorrow for dinner?”

“Aye, I’ll be there,” Killian promised.

Liam left after a few moments, and Killian spent half of the evening staring at his phone, willing Emma to call him or text him.

/-/

Emma noticed something was wrong the moment she set foot on the farm and met Mary Margaret’s beaming smile. She knew that smile, she’d been the victim of that smile several times during the last decade and a half. It was the _‘I have a fantastic idea that you are going to hate but I am positive it’s perfect for you’_ smile.

Emma didn’t give her friend any time to act. “Whatever it is, I am not interested.”

“Emma!” Mary Margaret said, slightly shocked but Emma raised her eyebrows at her. Mary Margaret finally sighed. “I swear it was David’s idea. I wanted to give you a little more time… but we both feel you are closing up to the world again. And you did come here to have a fresh start, and holing up in your room every night is not really helping advocate your case.”

Emma sighed, “How bad is it?”

“It’s not _that_ bad. He’s thinking of inviting one of his bowling buddies for dinner on Saturday. Give you a chance to get to know some of the - _local available options_ ,” Mary Margaret finished, avoiding her eyes.

Emma groaned, rolling her eyes before a thought made her freeze on the spot.

_Please don’t let it be Killian_.

She cleared her throat, feigning disinterest, “And who, may I ask, is the poor unfortunate soul David has chosen for the sacrifice of being set up with me?”

It was Mary Margaret’s turn to roll her eyes and show her frustration, “Don’t talk like that! You might be a little... _prickly,_ but any guy would be lucky to have you.”

“Mary Margaret….”

“His name is Walsh and he owns a furniture shop. He’s quite nice,” Mary Margaret said as she moved towards the kitchen to start dinner.

Nice, Emma thought. Nice was, well, _nice_. Nice was probably _safe_. Nice would probably be a decent gentleman that might be interested in dating. Taking things slow. Getting to know each other. Having a relationship with her son. Strolling around town holding hands. Attending events together.

_Wow. Slow down Emma._

But she couldn’t keep her mind from wondering what things _nice_ probably wasn’t. Dangerously attractive. Fantastic kisser. Good with his hands. Little to no problem skipping the taking it slow part and jumping directly to the fun part, with no strings attached.

She groaned as she took a seat on the stool and hit her head on the kitchen island.

“Save me, Mary Margaret. I don’t want to do this!”

“Emma… I want to help you. But help _me_ help _you_ ,” Mary Margaret pointed out. “Unless you can come up with some sort of plan or excuse not to be here on Saturday night, _this is happening_.”

Saturday night. She had plans for Saturday night. _Fun plans._ Or at least, plans that might lead to some _fun_.

“I have plans Saturday night,” she blurted out and winced internally at the sound of her voice.

Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “You are making this up.”

Emma shook her head, “No, I _do_ have plans. Or at least I was considering having plans.  I am going out, hitting a bar or something.”

“ _Emma…_ ”

“Back me up on this one, ok?” Emma pleaded.“I know you like to do this differently, but let me do it my way. I’ll go out, hit a bar, try to get to know people on my own. What to do you say? Does that buy me an extra week without being set up with one of David’s bowling buddies?”

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes and sighed _. “Fine_. But just _one_ week.”

“Thank you!” Emma said as she reached to hug her friend.

/-/

Later that night, she paced around in her room, one hand holding her phone and the other one Killian’s number. She sighed, sitting on the bed, and typed a message.

_So, how would this work?_

**_Swan?_ **

She cocked an eyebrow. _Were you expecting someone else?_

**_Nope, just really glad you texted me so soon, love._ **

_Just to be clear, this is not a date…_

**_If it’s not a date, what would you call it?_ **

Emma bit her lower lip, pondering her options. _This would be a meet-up?_ She winced at her terrible choice of words.

**_Do you mean like an encounter?_ **

She smiled to herself as she could almost hear the innuendo in his message.

_You can't pick me up at the farm_

**_I could_ **

_No. I don’t want Mary Margaret or David knowing about this._

There were a few moments without a reply and Emma worried that she might have hurt Killian’s feelings. She regretted the way her last message could have come across, but she wasn’t looking to date and she didn’t want to make it complicated for all of them. Finally, a beep alerted her of a new message.

**_Alright, there’s this place outside town. I can text you the directions and we can meet there around 7:30?_ **

_And how come you know we won’t run into anyone from the town there?_

**_No one from Storybrooke goes there, Swan. And trust me, their apple pie is killer._ **

/-/

Killian stood by his black Charger in the parking lot, waiting. He adjusted his stance one more time, trying to remain calm and poised and failing miserably in the process.

Bloody hell, he was _nervous_.

He hadn’t been nervous over a woman in years and he never thought he’d be again. He mentally chastised himself. He wasn’t nervous, he was just… _apprehensive_. Last time he’d waited for her, expectant on the promise of a good time with a beautiful, sexy woman; she’d never shown up.

He didn’t want the story to repeat itself. It’d only been one week, but he’d become addicted to her kisses, her touch, the way she moaned softly when his hips rut against hers. He didn’t want that feeling to end.

Killian noticed the headlights of a car coming into the parking lot and he recognized the yellow bug he’d seen parked at the farm last Sunday. He grinned widely as the car parked next to his and Emma started to get out of the driver’s seat. He was by her side in an instant, grabbing her hand to help her.

“You came,” he said smiling.

“Did you ever doubt that I would?” She lifted an eyebrow at him and spoke in a playful tone.

“Given our history, can you blame me for being uncertain?” He smirked at her, before his eyes scanned her lovely figure in black suit pants and a red top. “You look stunning, Emma,” he said, flabbergasted.

“Thank you,” she said softly. Her eyes avoided his for a brief moment before she looked at him again. “You look quite dashing yourself.”

“Shall we?” He offered her his arm and she gladly took it.

 

He lead her into a small but cozy bar called _Sherwood_. It had some tables here and there, a few people scattered around the place enjoying their meals.

“This is not what I expected…” Emma said surprised.

“It’s a nice place. Quiet, good comfort food, and I think I’ve mentioned the killer apple pie.” Killian smirked at her before a voice interrupted him.

“What are you doing here on a Saturday night!?”

He grinned as he turned around and focused on the brunette standing in front of him, unimpressed and annoyed.

“Now Regina, is that the way to greet your former prom date?” he whispered in a salacious tone, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Regina scoffed, “You are never going to let me forget about that.”

“Oh and if he does, I’ll make sure to remind you,” a sandy blonde said as he stood by Regina’s side. “Killian, great to see you here, mate. And who is this lovely lass?”

Killian smiled. “This is Emma Swan, Storybrooke’s new deputy.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Regina rolled her eyes.

Killian chuckled before he addressed a slightly confused Emma. “Emma, this lovely exemplar of regal poise and finesse is Regina, she makes the best apple pie in all of Ohio and surrounding states. And this is her husband Robin.”

“Nice to meet you,” Emma said shyly.

“I can’t believe Killian Jones is here on a date,” Robin cheered.

“This is not a date,” both Killian and Emma corrected at the same time.

“Right,” Regina said, gesturing at the tables. “Well, pick a table and Robin will be right there with drinks.” She turned around and spoke to Robin as Killian and Emma looked for an available table. “Not a date, _right_. He hasn’t brought a woman here in years or come on a Saturday night unless he was in a terrible mood. And I’m supposed to believe it’s not a date when he shows up here with the new deputy on his arm?”

“Regina, darling, I don’t think Killian wanted Emma to know _all_ that information,” Robin said as he witnessed Killian shuffling uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“Oh, I _know_.” Regina smirked mischievously.

“You went to prom with _her_?” Emma asked curiously as they both sat at the table.

“Junior prom,” Killian explained.  “She was trying to make a point.”

“And what was the point?” she tilted her head. 

“That was Regina Locksley, nee _Mills_.”

“As in Mayor Mills?” Emma’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“So...you’ve heard of Cora already,” Killian sighed. “Determined woman if I’ve ever seen one. Back in the day, she wanted Regina to land a hot jock from a nearby town. Regina wasn’t remotely interested in that so she took me to Junior prom. We actually had a great time bantering with each other and drinking some smuggled rum.” He tilted his head, smirking. “Well, I drank. She doesn’t do rum.”

“Wait a minute,” Emma said nervously. “If she’s the mayor’s daughter...you said no one from town would see us here.”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “That is because no one from Storybrooke comes here, Swan. Only me, and Liam occasionally. But mostly me.”

Emma gave him a confused look and Killian sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Cora had big plans for Regina: she’d marry well, run for office and they’d build an empire in little Storybrooke.” His hand fidgeted on the table as he toyed with his fork. “Regina had other plans for her life: mainly just living it in any way she saw fit. Cora’s first choice of husband backfired when Liam married Elsa. Her second plan was an old decrepit car dealership owner who was loaded and she almost forced Regina to marry him, but she ran away with recent widower Robin Locksley, who’d just moved to town with his son to start anew.” He raised an eyebrow knowingly and Emma averted her gaze.

Killian cleared his throat as he continued his story. “They moved to this town and opened this bar. Most people from town don't come here because of prejudice and what not, but to be honest, Regina is the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Robin is great for her and they are quite the happy little family, all of Storybrooke and her mother be damned.”

“But you still come here?” she asked softly, tilting her head to the side and giving him a sincere look.

Killian thought about his answer for a brief moment. “It’s… a refugee of sorts,” he tried to explain. “For when small town mindset gets to be too suffocating.”

“Yes it is,” Robin said as he brought him a couple of beers and menus. He turned around to Emma. “And feel free to come back any time, Emma. Even without him. _Especially_ without him.”

“I’ll keep this place in mind next time I need to escape,” Emma replied smiling. 

Killian saw an opening and took it. “I must say, I was surprised you texted me so quickly.”

Emma hesitated. “I - I needed to leave the farm.”

He knew that look, he had been the owner of that look before. “ _Oh_. Have they started already? I thought they’d give you a little more time,” he finished sympathetically.

“Me too,” she sighed. “But it seems David is determined I move on with my life.”

He tried to deny he was feeling jealous over the idea of Emma being set up with someone else. He _tried_.

_And failed._

“Who was he?” he asked, trying to feign nonchalance.

Emma squinted her eyes as if trying to remember. “Walsh?”

Killian’s face twisted in distaste. “Oh no, the furniture seller.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Boring as hell, Swan. Only had one girlfriend in his life and I think he’s still hung up on her. Bloody monkey,” he muttered.

“ _Monkey_?”

He shouldn’t be throwing Walsh under the bus like this. He _shouldn’t_. Walsh was a decent fellow, perhaps a little snobby and on the boring side, but not a bad bloke.

But the sole idea of losing Emma’s touch to any of Storybrooke’s eligible bachelors and sensible options was driving him insane. He took a sip of his beer before he replied. “He was the team mascot back in high school. It kind of got stuck with him for good.”

“Glad I dodged that bullet,” Emma said as she took a sip of her beer and looked at her menu. Robin came back to take their orders. After he was gone, Killian leaned back in his chair and fiddled with the label of his beer bottle.

“You know this is only the beginning, right?”

“Unfortunately, I do know that from first hand experience.”

“David will probably go through his entire list of bowling buddies.” He gave her a playful smirk. “Lucky for you, I happen to know them all.”

“Care to enlighten me so I can be prepared?” she asked in a velvety tone. “Who else is there?”

Killian tilted his head. “My brother, but you can rule him out. Even though tough blondes were always his type, he’s happily married to one.”

“Too bad, at least he’s easy on the eyes.”

“Well, if you like dark hair, blue eyes and a lilting accent, I’m right here, Swan.” He bit his lower lip flirtatiously, his eyes fixed on hers as she held his stare. His mouth went dry as the sudden desire rushed through him.

“Who else is there?” Emma asked as a waiter placed the food in from of them.

“Archie… but you are too good for Archie. He’s got to be at least ten years older and he’s been a bachelor his entire life. I don’t think he’s _qualified_ to give you the fun you deserve.”

She scrunched her nose in distaste and he couldn’t help the soft smile that came to his lips. She truly deserved more fun than what Archie could ever give her.

“Anyone else?”

Killian hesitated. Emma picked up on this really quickly. “Oh… there is someone?” she asked curiously.

“Well, there’s one. I’m honestly surprised David didn’t set you up with him in the first place. But perhaps he knows you’d rebuke the first few attempts and he’s saving his best card for when you are ready.”

“Sounds pretty much like David,” Emma replied.

“Then you should probably know that former deputy Graham Humbert is coming your way eventually.”

“The guy that left the job I took?” Emma sounded surprised.

“He left to become sheriff in another town; something David was supportive of. There’s no bad blood there.”

“And what can you tell me about Graham?”

“Decent fellow, quite handsome, knows how to treat a lady.” Killian almost bit the words out.

“That sounds… quite good actually.” Emma looked at him confused. “What is the downside?”

Killian sighed. “There is no downside. Graham is actually quite the catch. Most of the single women in Storybrooke pine after him. We’ve known each other since we were kids. Our mothers were good friends.”

Emma nodded in appreciation and Killian’s brain scattered for any dirt he might have on Graham. There wasn’t much and he knew it, but he needed to find something before this backfired on him. So he went with the only thing he had at his disposal.

“But the thing is, Swan,” he started, “I feel the need to defend my friend’s honor here. Graham is not a guy you seek out only to have a few nights of fun. He’s one of the good ones. He’s the one you’d go to for settling down, taking things seriously, having a formal and blessed relationship in the eyes of the town.” He gave her an intent look, cocking his eyebrow.

Emma stared back at him. “Too bad I am not interested in any of those things. I just want to be left alone and hopefully have some fun in the meantime. I guess that rules Graham out.”

He could feel the smile coming to his lips and it was mirrored in Emma’s face. “I guess it does,” he whispered as he picked up his fork and concentrated on his food for a minute.

They spent the rest of the meal talking about small things and making flirty remarks here and there. Emma moaned when she took the first bite of apple pie and Killian felt all his blood rushing to one spot, making it difficult for him to concentrate on anything other than imagining how he could make her replicate that sound in another scenario. He was still entertaining those thoughts when his fingers grazed hers as they both reached for the check, but he insisted on paying. She finally relented, not before her fingers brushed his again and he felt electricity running all through his body.

They stood up, waved goodbye to Robin and Regina and headed for the door. Killian’s hand found a place on Emma’s lower back and he smiled in contentment when she didn’t pull away. Once they were out the door, into the parking lot and leaning on his car, she turned around to face him.

“So…” she started hesitantly. “That was all the list of bowling buddies.”

“Actually.” He took one step closer to her. “There is one more name.”

“Let me guess. _You_?”

“Aye,” he said, taking one more step and invading her personal space as she seemed to lean one more fraction towards him.

“Well, you are easy on the eyes.” She bit her lower lip as her green eyes darted to his lips.

He moved closer and his body was almost pressed against hers, as she leaned against the door of his car. His hand moved to grab her waist and her green eyes darkened.

“And I already know you can deliver some fun times,” she said flirtatiously, her sultry voice igniting a fire within him.

“I hope so,” he said as he leaned in a little more, his nose nuzzling hers. She pressed her hand on his chest and he could feel the warmth spreading through him. “What do you say, Swan? Do I get the job?” he whispered against her lips.

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, her lips capturing his in a swift motion. His entire body became alive at that contact, heat enveloping him. He pressed his body flush against hers, pinning her against his car and deepening the kiss. She moaned and rolled her hips against his, her hands burying in his hair.

She broke the kiss and asked breathlessly, “This motel that is supposedly nearby - How… _tacky_ is it?”

He smirked, his lips travelling the length of her jaw as he whispered, “A little. But if you are willing to go a few more miles, there’s actually a fairly decent inn we could go to.” He pulled away to watch her reaction. Her green eyes bored into his for a minute as she pondered the idea.

“Wouldn’t it be a little late to book a room?” she asked.

He cleared his throat and spoke nervously, “I might have booked us a room and picked up the key beforehand.”

“You did?” She arched an eyebrow at him.

“Look, Swan, I - I wasn’t expecting anything.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just wanted to provide a better option in case - _you know_ ,” he trailed off, his eyes boring into hers. He couldn’t tell her that it didn’t feel right to go to the same motel he went to every time. That he felt revolted by that idea. That she deserved much better… a comfortable room. That if this was the one night they’d have - as she seemed to be a _hit and run_ much like he was - he wanted it to count.

So he said nothing and just stood there, holding her in his arms, his eyes boring into hers as he let her make the final choice. She tilted her head for a second before she smirked and leaned in to kiss him. “That’s incredibly thoughtful, Killian,” she whispered.

“I’m glad you think so,” he replied as he kissed her again, tilting his head to deepen the kiss eagerly, his hands pulling her hips closer to him.

He couldn’t recall how long they spent kissing by his car, but at some point she broke the kiss, panting heavily. “Let’s get out of here,” she whispered. “How do we do this?”   

“I know the way,” Killian said, his mind trying to figure out the logistics. The last time they took separate cars, he ended up losing her. “Do you want to leave your car here and we can come pick it up later?”

Emma tilted her head, considering his words, and he took a step away from her to give her space. She reached out to him and pulled him closer again and he went willingly, smiling against her lips as she kissed him one more time. “ _Yes_ ,” she mumbled.

He took her hand and led her to the passenger side, opening the door for her. It was then that a voice called out to him.

“Killian!”

He turned around to find Regina standing by the door, tossing something at him. He quickly caught the set of keys with his hand and looked confused at her.

“Leave her car in our garage and close the door. A yellow bug like that stands out too much,” Regina said.

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Regina, you are a gem.”

Regina rolled her eyes before turning around and entering the bar again. Killian’s eyes found Emma’s and she was giving him a warm smile. “Do you want me to move your car for you?” he asked.

“There are many things I want you to do for me tonight…” she replied and her sex-laced tone was all the encouragement he needed to kiss her eagerly again.

/-/

The ride to the inn had been short and quiet; but it had been a comfortable silence. Killian dared to steal a few glances in Emma’s direction, only to find her looking out the window, her body leaning over in a relaxed way. He seemed to catch her eye one of those times, because soon her hand was on his thigh, her fingers slowly tracing a pattern that was making his blood boil and his body itch in a delicious way. His foot pressed on the gas pedal and he could see her smirking from the corner of his eye.

He parked the car on the side entrance of the inn, the one they mentioned guests could use to enter the inn if they’d arrived at a late hour. He got out of the car and quickly circled to open her door, offering his hand to her. The moment she was up on her feet, his eyes scanned her beauty and his breath caught in his throat. She was so breathtaking with her pale hair against the moonlight.

“Emma, we don’t have to…” he started, but she pulled him closer to her, crashing her lips to his in a kiss that left him dizzy and wanting more.

“Room. _Now_.” She bit his lower lip and he couldn’t avoid the groan that escaped his lips.

He grabbed her hand and quickly led them to the back entrance and into the inn. His eyes quickly scanned for the room number and he was by the door in a second, his hand fumbling with the key. He felt Emma pressing her body flush against his back, her tongue licking his earlobe and he lost focus for a second. He groaned as he imagined how great she’d feel with her back pressed against his chest, his body feeling all her curves. He was entertaining those thoughts when the door finally opened and he quickly stumbled into the room. Killian couldn’t even think clearly before Emma’s hand was on his arm, making him turn around. She gave him a lustful smile before she pushed him against the door, kissing him. He kissed her as he walked backwards, closing the door with his body. He planted his feet firmly on the floor, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.

_God, she was intoxicating._

His mind was already fogged with lust and need, desire running through him. She shrugged her jacket off and tossed it on the floor before she moved to do the same with his. She kept kissing him forcefully, her tongue stroking his as her fingers quickly undid the buttons of his shirt. He gasped at the feeling of her soft fingers grazing his skin and he broke the kiss, panting.

“Slow down, love. We have time,” he whispered.

“I’m tired of waiting.” Her hands buried in his hair and she brought his head to hers, kissing him again. He tilted his head, grabbing her hips and bringing her closer to him. He was desperate for her touch, desperate to feel her skin against his. He groaned when she removed his shirt, her palms rubbing his chest. He took a step forward, leading them into the room and removed her top, his fingers making work of her zipper at the same time she reached to unhook his belt. He was faster, pulling her pants down her thighs. They pooled to her calves and she stepped out of them, discarding her shoes in the process.

_Fuck_. She was a vision in red lace. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so turned on by someone, all he wanted to do was get on his knees and worship her.

Killian scooped her up, placing her thighs around his waist and she crossed her ankles at his back, rubbing against him. He groaned as he walked the short distance to the bed and carefully placed her on top of it. Taking his wallet from his back pocket and tossing it on the bedside table, he quickly removed his shoes, socks and pants and joined her. He hovered over her, desperately seeking the friction between her lace panties and his black boxer briefs.

She reached up to cup him and he growled, rutting his hips against her hand, his mouth finding hers, his body hot and heavy above her. If they kept like this, he was going to finish before they even started and he had plans for them. Plans that lasted a little longer than the pace they had set.

He trailed kisses down her neck and whispered in a strained voice. “Slow down, love.”

“I can’t.” Her fingers twisted his nipple and he almost lost control again. He took her hands and pinned them gently above her head, meeting her lust-darkened green eyes. “If this is the one night I get with you, I want to make it last, Emma,” he said huskily, his eyes boring into hers. She tilted her head, a flirty grin coming to her lips as she rolled her hips against his. “Take your time, then.”

He loosened his hold on her hands and moved to explore her body with his mouth and hands, cupping her breasts over the lace of her bra. She moaned and arched her body off the bed and he took the opportunity to unclasp her bra and take it off, his tongue darting to tease her nipple. He continued for a few moments, licking and stroking and watching her squirm and moan, his own blood humming with desire as well. He continued his journey down her body, pressing soft kisses as his fingers hooked into her underwear and slowly moved it down her legs. He groaned softly as his nose caressed her inner thigh and his hand gripped her hip firmly as he darted his tongue out to taste her.

_Fuck. He was going to combust from heat tonight._

He teased a finger at her entrance and his tongue continued to stroke her, watching as her body moved and shivered, soft moans filling the room. It was more than thrilling, but he needed more, he needed to see her fall apart against his touch. He slid one finger into her, groaning at how incredible it felt. She gasped and bucked her hips against his finger and he smirked against her delicate skin, “Do you like that, love?”

“ _Yes_.”

His mouth travelled back up her body, pressing feather-like kisses on its journey. “Tell me when it starts to feel _really_ good,” he said as he leveled his head with hers to give her a fierce kiss.

“ _There_.” She gasped and he picked up the pace of his strokes, his mouth sucking on her nipple, wanting to cover her entire body with his lips.

He could feel how close she was, her body tensing, “You have no idea how much I’ve dreamed of seeing you like this again, love.”

Emma moaned again, and she grabbed his head to pull him into a kiss. “Wait. Stop,” she pleaded.

“ _Why_? You are so close… why stop now?”

“Because I need you inside.” She sucked at his lower lip and her hand reached underneath his boxers to grab him. “ _Now_.”

“Demanding, are we?” he teased her but her hand started stroking his length and he growled at the feeling.

“I want you to come with me, Killian.” She licked his earlobe and stroked him again. 

He removed his fingers and quickly got rid of his boxers, pressing his body against hers. She gasped and arched up to him. Killian pulled slightly away, reaching for the condom in his wallet and she helped him roll it down his length.

His eyes bore into hers as he nudged at her entrance. She wet her lips as she rubbed her center against his tip, and he slowly slid in, almost combusting at her tight heat.

_Bloody Hell. It felt perfect._

“Fuck,” he groaned once he was fully sheathed inside of her, stilling for a second. “You feel so good, love.” She bucked her hips and he got the hint, starting to thrust slowly, letting the heated sensations envelop him, letting himself drown in her. He kissed every inch of her skin he could find as he kept moving inside of her, faster and harder, his groans matching her moans. His hand reached to stroke her and he watched as she fell apart in his arms, her moans filling the room as her fingers dug into his shoulders. Increasing the pace of his thrusts, he quickly joined her, pulling her into a fierce kiss before collapsing.

He rested his forehead on her shoulder for a brief second before he slid out of her, moving to the side and pulling her close to him.

“That was amazing,” she whispered, her lips tracing kisses across his chest.

“ _You_ were amazing,” he said as he pulled her closer to give her a brief kiss. “I - just give me a second, love.”

He quickly made his way to the bathroom to discard the condom and clean himself up a little. When he stepped into the room again, she was looking at him quizzically. He recognized her look. It was the itching need to run, to put the stop on anything that wasn’t just physical gratification. He’d felt that way so many times, almost every time, that it had taken him seeing that look on her face to realize that he didn’t want this night to end. He breathed deeply and slowly moved towards the bed, laying down next to her.

“Hey… it’s ok,” he said reassuringly, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, biting his lower lip. Her eyes searched his and whatever she was looking for, she seemed to find it, because she reached to kiss him softly and snuggled into him. He relaxed as well, pulling her closer to him.

“What time do you have to be back?” he asked, his fingers tracing back and forth down her side. She tilted her head and squinted her eyes and he smiled. “I just want to know how much time I have left of this. I want to make it count.”

She stood still for a moment, before leaning into him.“I can stay for a little while, but I - I  can’t fall asleep,” she said.

He smirked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, love. I won’t let you fall asleep.”

He flipped them on the bed, the sounds of her giggles making his heart skip a beat and he kissed her softly. He mapped her body with his lips and his fingers slowly, lazily, enjoying her soft moans and whispered words for what seemed like hours, but it was probably a little less. He reached to kiss her shoulder blade when he was done, basking in the warmth of her afterglow as he pulled her closer to him. They stayed nuzzled into each other and after a while, he felt her shuffle next to him.

“I - I have to head back,” she murmured against his skin.

“Aye.” He sighed, watching her leave the bed and move to the bathroom.

/-/

They made it back to the bar and took her car out of the garage. She parked and got out of it, standing by the door. She fidgeted with the car key in her hands and he bit his lower lip, tilting his head and drinking in her beauty. She gave him a warm smile.  

“Thank you, Killian. I had a great time.” She leaned in for a brief kiss and he could feel his blood rushing at the soft press of her lips moving against his.

He ran a hand through his hair nervously after he broke the kiss. “Emma...can I - can I see you again?” he asked, taking a chance on the unknown.

She smirked, grabbing the lapels of his jacket and pulling him into a searing kiss that left them both panting. “Can I take that as a yes?” he teased.

“We’ll see,” she smirked. “I might be willing to prolong the fun.” She kissed him one more time before he opened her car door.

“Goodnight,” she said softly as she got in the car.

“Goodnight, Emma,” he replied, smiling.

He stood there as he watched her drive away, his body already calling for hers.


	5. V

_Bein' good isn't always easy_  
 _No matter how hard I try_  
  
The next morning, Emma met Mary Margaret’s inquisitive stare as she handed her a cup of coffee. “How was your evening?” she asked. “Did you have a nice time?”

Flashes of Killian’s fingers caressing her skin came to her mind and Emma bit her lower lip.

“It was ok.” She shrugged nonchalantly, trying to school her features but the memory of his laughter and his arms holding her brought a smile to her lips. It wasn’t just the amazing sex - _which had been beyond amazing_ \- it was the entire night that was making her grin.

Mary Margaret gasped, holding her coffee mug with two hands. “You met someone!”

Emma avoided her friend’s eyes. “I - I might have made an acquaintance.”

“ _Who_? What does he look like? Maybe I know him,” Mary Margaret asked eagerly, almost bouncing from excitement.

_He looks like a sex god, you definitely know him and there is no chance in hell I am telling you any of this._

“That was not part of the deal,” Emma smirked. “I was supposed to go out and meet people and I did.” She put her mug in the sink before she turned and waved her hand. “That should get me off the hook for a while. Tell David not to even think about inviting Graham over for dinner. I am _not_ interested in having any formal and blessed relationship in the eyes of the town.”

Emma moved to leave the kitchen, but Mary Margaret’s high pitched voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

“WAIT! How do you know about Graham?”

_Damn my big mouth._

Mary Margaret searched her face frantically and Emma avoided her gaze again, her eyes focusing on the ceiling. “Emma? _Emma?!? Who did you meet?_ ”

Emma pointed to the clock on the kitchen wall, feigning rush and concern. “Look at the time, we’re going to be late for church, Mary Margaret! And this is definitely not a conversation to have in the pew. _Trust me_.” She winked at her friend and moved to call Henry and the others for church.

“But we will have this conversation!” Mary Margaret yelled behind her.

_Not if I can avoid it._

/-/

Emma avoided Mary Margaret’s pointed looks for the rest of the morning. Just in case, she made sure to sit between Henry and the end of the bench, careful not to let Mary Margaret take a seat next to her. There was enough room on the bench, so when Liam began his sermon, she made sure to move towards Henry and leave an empty seat next to her. She saw Mary Margaret narrow her eyes and she had to resist the urge to stick her tongue out at her friend. It was childish and Emma was beyond that type of behavior. _Almost_. She settled for smirking at her friend.

Emma’s smirk died on her lips as Liam’s eyes connected with hers. Emma blushed instantly at the reminder of their latest encounter. Liam seemed to falter in his sermon for a second, but quickly recovered as he averted his gaze and scratched behind his ear.

_Much like his brother._

The brother who was nowhere to be seen this morning at church. She’d only noticed because she was a deputy. She needed to scan the premises for any possible security threats. Who knows what grudges were being held in this town after all.

_She wasn’t looking for Killian. Nope. Not at all._

And then she heard that lilting voice whispering almost in her ear. “Is this seat taken?”

Emma turned to find Killian smiling broadly at her, damp hair and white shirt under his leather jacket, before he nodded at the vacant seat next to her with his head.

She quickly shook her head, not being able to coerce her mouth to pronounce words with the way his eyes were a bright cobalt blue in the morning light.

“Good morning, Swan,” he said as he sat down, his thigh brushing hers slightly. “I trust that you slept well, darling.” His voice was low, barely a hint as he pronounced the affectionate pet name and it sent a rush of warmth through her body.

_Not here, Emma._ She tried to school herself, but it was too late. Her body was waking up from the proximity of him, and her mind started a replay of the previous night in Technicolor and surround system; evoking every single sensation he’d elicited on that shared bed. The feel of his fingers caressing her skin. The soft moans as he moved in rhythm with her. The way his eyes lit with mischief as he trailed feather-like kisses down her stomach.

_You’re going to burn in hell, Emma._

The way her name fell from his lips as he collapsed on top of her, the weight of his body pressing her deliciously against the mattress, his forehead resting on her shoulder.

_I’m pretty sure Dante wrote a special level of hell for people like me._

Memories continued to flood her mind, like the way he smiled as he pulled her reassuringly into his arms when all was said and done. And she’d gone willingly, scared of what it meant, but more scared of losing his touch.

Emma shifted in her seat, avoiding his eyes but feeling his presence nonetheless. He smelled as great as he did the night before and it made her hands twitch on her thighs. She heard a soft chuckle next to her.

_He knew. The bastard knew._ Emma winced at her choice of words and she could feel Killian’s head shifting to look at her. But she didn’t dare to look at him because she’d see his smug smirk and she was not sure whether she’d punch him or kiss him….

_And they were in church, for crying out loud._

The sweet torture that was Sunday service finally came to an end and he chose the moment she was leaning to grab her purse to whisper in her ear, “What were you thinking about, love?”

She glared at him, and he was so close that she could see the glint in his blue eyes. “Really, Swan? _Here?”_ He waggled his eyebrows and Emma was pretty sure that if looks could kill, he’d be dead by now. But Killian didn’t seem to falter, gallantly offering his hand to help her stand up.

“It’s lovely to see you again, Deputy Swan,” he said in his most civil voice. Suddenly Emma was aware of everyone else gathering around them, including the interest Mary Margaret had taken in them. 

“It’s good to see you as well,” she replied nonchalantly.

“Will you be accompanying the others on the excursion today?” he asked as they walked towards the church front door.

He was referring to the annual excursion the church put together to some farms nearby. Henry had been talking about it for a few days, excited to have a plan and be part of something in the community.

She shook her head. “Mary Margaret and David offered to take Henry on the excursion. I have the day all to myself.” Emma’s eyes darted around and found Mary Margaret deep in conversation with some of the parents of her class, her interest in them foregone for the moment.

He turned and cocked an eyebrow at her, before he quickly schooled his features. “I hope you enjoy your afternoon then,” he whispered as they stood in the front yard.

“Would you like to come to the farm later?” she blurted out, the words surprising her as much as they seemed to surprise him. But once they were out there, the invitation lying at his feet, she realized she didn’t want to back out. The memories of the previous night were still fresh in her mind, her body itching to be close to his again. It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling. She might have dreaded the idea of running into a one night stand before; but now, standing in front of Killian on that Sunday morning, all she wanted was to see him again.

_Alone_.

_Soon_.

He was still looking at her, his head to the side, his mouth open in slight surprise. Emma’s insecurities kicked in, and she took a step back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she hastily spoke, “Forget I asked…”

His hand moved in haste to grab her arm and stop her backtracking and she looked up to meet his eyes boring into hers. He smiled, his lips curving into an expression that was more genuine happiness than anything else. And it scared Emma a little, but then he spoke in a soft tone and everything faded.

“I’d love to. I’ll be there.”

She smiled and pointed to her friends gathered in the yard, “I better go say goodbye to Henry. I’ll see you around two?”

He nodded, moving to the side to let her walk by. “Aye.”

Killian stood there, bouncing back and forth on his feet as he watched Emma hug Henry and exchange some words with Mary Margaret. He was grinning madly and he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind since they parted ways the night before. But nonetheless, her sudden invitation had taken him by surprise, as he hadn’t expected her need to see him to match his own so intensely. He’d been silent for a moment and it was only when he read the insecurity in her eyes that he’d realized he hadn’t expressed that he couldn’t wait to see her again that afternoon.

Elsa cleared her throat next to him and took him out of his thoughts. He turned and saw her gaze moving from Emma to him, her eyebrow slightly raised.

“It’s not what it seems,” he stated.

“It’s _exactly_ what it seems,” she retorted, her head ducking slightly as her lips curved into a smile.

“I really don’t need lecturing from you.” Killian sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Elsa waved her hand gracefully. “Oh no, I’ll leave that to your brother. It’s his area of expertise.”

He tilted his head, not quite buying into the idea that she wasn’t going to say something. He knew his sister-in-law. “And what would you like to tell me?”

She fixed a button on his shirt and patted his chest. “Wear a nice shirt for a change. And flowers never hurt.”

She turned to leave as Killian protested, “It’s not a date.”

Elsa gave him a look from over her shoulder. “Of course it’s not. But it still doesn’t hurt.”

/-/

Emma heard the sound of a car arriving at the farm and breathed deeply. She raked her fingers through her hair before she opened the door and took a step onto the front porch.

Killian was leaning on the side of his car, ankles crossed and hair masterfully disheveled. He’d changed into dark denims, a blue Henley shirt - the buttons were undone - and a leather jacket.

He looked positively ravishing. Sinfully delightful. Like the type of pleasure one most definitely should treat oneself to on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Killian smiled at her, a widespread grin appearing on his face and he ducked his head for a second, biting his lip in a bashful way.

It was then when Emma noticed the bouquet of daisies lying on the hood of the car next to him. She walked towards him, a small smile curving her lips as she reached him.

“You went to buy flowers on a Sunday?” She cocked an eyebrow at him and he blushed lightly. “I’m pretty sure it’ll be all over town by the time they are back from the excursion,” she teased, moved by the small gesture more than she cared to admit to him. Or herself.

He seemed to falter for a moment, reaching to scratch behind his ear that had somehow turned a darker shade of pink. But he appeared to recover quickly, his voice low and smug as he replied, “Oh no, Swan, Moe knows how to be _discreet…_ and he likes me, he’ll never tell,” he shrugged.

“Really, why?”

He reached for her and pulled her to him and she went willingly, her arms travelling to his neck and his arms hugging her waist. “Remember the car dealer Cora wanted Regina to marry?” he asked and she nodded, focusing on the way the light was casting his eyes in a crystal shade of blue. “That creepy old bastard went after Belle - Moe’s daughter - after that. Dazzled her with a lot of gifts and the tale of a wounded soul that wanted to change.” He spat the words, a hint of disdain in his voice. “I liked Belle, the lass used to work with me at the bookstore. So when it turned out that the bastard was lying to her and broke her heart, I might have introduced her to a college mate of mine, to help her get her mind off Gold.” He smirked at the last bit, not even hiding the mischief in his voice.

“And?” she asked softly.

He smiled proudly, “Belle and Will are now happily married and expecting twins. She works at the Public Library in Cleveland and Moe hasn’t let me pay for a bouquet of flowers ever since.”

She laughed at this, and he pulled her closer to him, as if he were trying not to miss one single detail of it. “What are you? The town’s matchmaker?”

He chuckled, an objection coming to his lips, “Nah.” He seemed to ponder something before he tilted his head, his tongue making a _tsk_ sound against the inside of his cheek. “Well Swan, if they are marrying other blokes, they are not set out to marry me.” He waggled his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes playfully before they set to his. “All about the fun, right?”

“Aye…” His grip tightened and soon the mood had changed, the air around them charged with something less playful. “Is that a problem?” he asked in a soft whisper.

She leaned in to kiss him and he met her lips willingly, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, his nose nuzzling her cheek as he took a sharp breath intake and his arms tightened his embrace.

Emma pulled away when they broke the kiss, dazzled and breathless. “Actually, not at all… I think it’s exactly what I need right now.”

He brushed his lips to hers. “Then how about we go out for a ride, then?” he said raggedly, lust laced in his voice.

She bit her lip and nodded smiling. He loosened his tight embrace and reached to present her with the daisies before he escorted her to the passenger seat of his Charger and opened the door for her.

“Let’s get your heart racing, Swan,” he said mischievously.

/-/

Emma had to admit that she’d never seen the allure of the whole _drive around admiring the farm scenery_ thing before. Granted, she’d gotten little to no chances in her teenage years to experience the beauty of such a pastime.

But that afternoon, as Killian drove by the countryside roads, his foot hitting the gas pedal as he pushed them over the speed limit, she couldn’t help the way her heart beat inside her chest with a little more speed of its own.

It didn’t help that he looked more enticing than before. He’d discarded his leather jacket and pulled up the sleeves of his Henley, his forearms in plain sight as he drove. She shouldn’t be that aroused by the sight of his naked arms, considering she’d had the chance to admire a lot more than that the night before. But there was something in the way the sun played on his features, his disheveled hair, the straight jawline and the way his Ray Bans framed his face that made Emma unable to tear her eyes away from him.

The smirk on his face alerted her that he was perfectly aware of her thorough ogling but instead of regaling her with double entendres, he’d remained silent, just focusing on the road.

Ok, focusing _almost_ on the road, as his hand seemed to find a way to brush her thigh every time he shifted gears, sending an electric jolt throughout her body.

At some point, Killian made a quick stop at a drive-through to purchase a couple cups of coffee and continued driving until he pulled off the main road onto a dirt one. They drove past a line of trees that shrouded a hidden creek from view.  He parked the car and turned off the engine before he turned to look at her.

“Do you want to get out of the car for a while? I promise you, the farm excursion is miles away from here. No one will see us…”

She smiled, taking a sip of her coffee before she opened the door and stepped out. Killian quickly followed and they both leaned against the hood of the car, sipping their coffees in silent companionship.

“I know it’s not much, Swan,” he started hesitantly, his eyes avoiding her gaze as he ran a hand through his hair, “but I thought some quiet scenery would be a good option.”

Before even noticing it, she was scooting closer to him on the hood, her head leaning on his shoulder. “It’s _perfect_ ,” she whispered.

His arm moved behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder as he pulled her closer to him. A sigh of contentment ran through them both.

Finally, she broke the silence, her voice laced with a teasing flirt. “Do you always bring girls out here on a Sunday afternoon?”

He chuckled as he leaned in to press his chin on the top of her head and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her hair.

“Actually, no,” he confessed softly, his voice carrying a hint of something deep that she chose not to address at that moment, because it meant treading heavily into things that she didn’t want to deal with. Not at the moment.

She looked up and the sentiment in his blue eyes took her breath away. “Killian….” she breathed, her face coming closer to his, “How about you get my heart racing in a different way?”

His lips were on hers the second the words were out of her mouth, passionately rekindling movements that were familiar now. He chucked the empty coffee cup over his shoulder, reaching to tangle his hand in her hair and pulling her closer, fusing their bodies together with a heat that she’d become addicted to in the short amount of time she’d known him.

“Backseat?” she asked in between kisses and his reply was a growl that made her entire body pulse with desire.

“Bloody Hell, Swan, you are going to kill me, lass.” He kissed the back of her neck as they both tumbled towards the backseat of the car.

/-/

This was not how she remembered this usually going.

She’d done this before. Heck, she had a _major_ in doing it in the backseat of a car. And by the way Killian had been moving, it was clear he had experience of his own. But as she ground her hips against him one more time, their lips fused together, the heat of their mingled breathing making her skin feel on fire, she couldn’t help but notice other things. Things she shouldn’t be noticing if everything was going in the right direction.

Like the fact that her calf was cramping from the way her leg was twisted as she straddled Killian’s lap. The friction of the front of her jeans against his was feeling quite good, but it wasn’t enough anymore. She pressed her body flush against his and heard a sharp breath intake that hinted more of pain than pleasure. He was half lying on the seat, his head resting over the window and his neck twisted in an awkward position. Emma pulled back slightly, her hands reaching to lift his shirt from his waist but she lost her balance and her elbow landed forcefully on his ribs instead.

“Ouch,” he grunted, his hands reaching to rub the spot.

“I’m sorry!” She uttered embarrassed, pressing her hand on top of his and shifting a little to give him an apologetic look.

His blue eyes had lost a little of their previous lust and he slowly interlaced their fingers before looking at her. “Pardon my bluntness Swan,” he said hesitantly, “but is this not working for you as much as it’s not working for me?”

Emma felt her cheeks redden in mortification and she started to pull completely away from him, “I-  Look, I…”

Killian reacted immediately, using their interlaced hands to hold her in place as he shifted to a sitting position. His other arm snaked around her waist and pulled her closer to him, pressing her down to the front of his jeans, where she could feel him.

“Oh, I want you, Swan,” he said huskily, his voice straining as she rubbed against him. “That much should be clear, but…”

She huffed, clearly understanding what he was trying to convey without actually saying it. “I know, you can’t concentrate, I can’t either” She sighed, trailing off as she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

Killian exhaled deeply as well, his arm embracing her tenderly as he caressed his scruffy cheek against hers.

“We’re old,” she murmured against his shirt.

“We’re _not_ old, _it’s the car_ ,” he protested emphatically. “Give me a few days, I’ll get Sean to sell me back my old ‘67 Chevy and we’ll try this again.”

Emma lifted her head from his shoulder to meet his blue eyes. “‘67 Chevy?”

He smirked at her, his eyes glinting naughtily. “The backseat of that car is a marvelous invention, Swan.”

Emma scoffed at him and he sat up straighter, his eyes serious as he continued, “I’m not jesting, give me a few days… if not buy it, at least I’ll get him to lend it to me.” He seemed to ponder that for a second before he sighed. “I need to think this through so it doesn’t get him in trouble with Ashley if we’re spotted somehow.”

“How do you people live?” Emma asked curiously. Trying to wrap her mind around all the possible implications of every single action she took was starting to give her a headache.

Killian shrugged. “You get used to it and after a while, you decide to let it slide. If you worry too much about town gossip, you never get to live your life, Emma.”

There was an edge in his words that Emma chose not to ignore. She’d figured he was right to a certain point and there was a part of her that claimed she never quite cared what others thought about her. But it wasn’t quite true. Underneath those bold words lived the little girl that always cared about what others thought of her, the one that kept replaying all her actions in her head, trying to figure out which one was the cause for that family to send her back. What she’d done (or not done) that made another family choose not to adopt her. The little girl that always believed it had been her that pushed them all away.

Her hands toyed nervously with the buttons of his shirt before she climbed down from his lap and sat next to him. Killian let her go, but turned to face her, his hand moving soothingly up and down her arm. “Talk to me, Swan,” he pleaded, looking at her sincerely.

“It’s easier to say that when you have no one to take care of…” she said in a small voice.

“Henry.  Aye, I can only imagine.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers caressing her cheek. “Listen, I have fun with you, lass. And I wouldn’t be opposed to keep on having fun together. _Actually,_ I would very much like to keep this going. But if you feel that you don't want to risk it, I’ll understand.”

There wasn’t a hint of deception in his voice, his sentiments earnest as he spoke the words and it made Emma reach down to kiss him sweetly, their lips barely touching. It was meant to be soft, but soon her head was tilting as the clear attraction they had for each other overtook the kiss. She straddled him again, biting her lower lip as her hands started to undo the buckle of his belt.

“What are you doing?” he asked breathlessly.

“Well, even if it’s not working for me, we can still make it work for you,” she said mischievously. “You did take care of me in the barn that time, even if you got nothing in return.”

“I got _plenty_ in return,” he replied, his hands reaching to stop hers. “Swan… are you keeping score?” he asked in disbelief.

Emma blushed. “Not exactly, but if you are not having as much fun as I am then…”

He put a finger to her lips to stop her sentence, his eyes holding her stare. “Darling, I don’t know what type of bloody buffoons you used to dally with, but trust me, _I am having a lot of fun_.” He punctuated the sentence by thrusting up his hips and she gasped. “I have fun with you, Emma, regardless of whether or not we _culminate_ things.” He cocked an eyebrow at her.

She couldn’t help but roll her hips one more time as she leaned in to give him a searing kiss that he eagerly reciprocated, both of them breathless and panting by the time they broke apart.

“I’d forgotten how fun make-out sessions could be,” she admitted, her nose nuzzling his.

“Aye, me too,” he replied before leaning in to kiss her again.

/-/

At noon on Monday, Emma looked around before she quickly entered the bookstore. Killian had his back to the door and he started talking as he turned around. “I’m sorry I’m about to clo-” he stopped mid-sentence as his eyes connected with hers. “Swan?” He tilted his head, confused.

“Do you close at lunch time?” she asked innocently.

“Aye, I do.”

Emma turned around to lock the door and flip the sign, closing the shutters as well. “Is there a bolt on this thing?” she asked as she tilted her head.

“At the bottom. Why?”

She bent over, bolting the door before getting up and quickly walking towards him. “I don’t want any interruptions this time.”  She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards her, kissing him deeply. His hand tangled in her hair as he tilted his head, his other hand at her waist, gripping tightly. She backtracked them until he hit the shelves and he groaned when her hands roamed over his chest.

“Fuck, Emma,” he growled.

“Upstairs?” she said invitingly and he crushed their lips together again, before holding her hand and taking her towards his apartment.

They stumbled their way to his bedroom, clothes quickly discarded on the way as they couldn’t keep their lips apart and hands off each other.

Killian made an attempt to slow things down, but Emma would have none of it as she pushed him onto the bed. “We had slow… and I have less than an hour before I need to be back at the station.” She traced her lips across his chest, her hand making its way underneath his boxers to cup him. “I had to lie to David about running an errand so I could escape lunch with him.” She stroked him, swallowing his moans with her mouth on his. “So this is going to be fast and hard, are we clear?”

“Roger that, Swan,” he groaned, reaching to push her hips down to grind against him. The remainder of their clothes were quickly gone as he reached for a condom from the drawer of his bedside table and she helped him roll it down his length. Emma straddled his legs, slowly sinking onto him and he groaned in ecstasy as she rolled her hips, moving up and down. Fast, hard, her body moving almost frantically in rhythm with his, his hand kneading her breast, pulling her down for a needy kiss, pleasure and pressure building in both of them.

“Hold on,” Killian pleaded, “Otherwise I’m going to -”

He groaned as she increased the pace, his hips thrusting up as he came forcefully and she rode out his orgasm, her body still chasing after her own pleasure.

“Bloody Hell…” Killian whispered raggedly, pulling her to him, all flushed skin and heated curves. “I’m sorry, this is not how this was supposed to go.”

She smiled against his skin, her body still moving against his, “Hey Killian, I also have fun whether or not we _culminate_ things.”

He chuckled before he rolled them over, laying her on her back. He quickly discarded the condom before he hovered over her, his fingers teasing her entrance. “Oh, but love, you _will_ culminate.” He placed kisses against her stomach, his eyes hooded. “You are not leaving until I’ve taken good care of you.”

“Killian, it’s really not…” Emma protested, propping herself up on one elbow.

“Lay back, Swan. I promise I know what I’m doing,” Killian replied as his tongue darted out to taste her and she moaned. He had her panting and coming against his tongue and fingers in less than a blink of an eye and she met his smug smirk as she came down from her high.

“Well, that was _fun_.” She pulled him up for a deep kiss. “I’m sorry to cut the afterglow short, but can I use your bathroom?”

He smiled, standing up and reaching to help her get off the bed. “Suit yourself, Swan.”

Emma emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, clothes mostly in order and her hair tied in a ponytail that hid most of the effect of their activities. She followed the clattering sound and the smell of toast to find Killian in sweatpants and a shirt, humming in the kitchen.

He turned around and smiled at her as he pointed at the pan he was looking after. “You still have approximately twenty minutes left, so I figured you could eat something.”

“Is that grilled cheese?” she asked surprised. “How did you know?”

Killian smirked. “Small town, Swan. It’s not hard to know your lunch preferences by now. I apologize about the lack of onion rings but there are some chips on the table.”

Emma sat down on a stool as she reached to grab a chip. “I don’t think any of my one night stands ever fed me before,” she admitted.

“Did you ever stay long enough for them to even try?” He cocked an eyebrow at her as he placed the sandwich on a plate.

_Touché_.

He placed the food in front of her and she looked up, meeting his stare. “Thank you, Killian, it smells wonderful.”

He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “You’re welcome. Now eat. We can’t have David thinking you didn’t have lunch and blow your entire cover.”

She gulped down her sandwich and washed it down with lemonade - _the man had homemade lemonade sitting in his fridge_ \- and soon she was back downstairs, her eyes meeting his as he unlocked the door. She stalled for a second, her hand on the doorknob as she kept looking at his earnest face and disheveled hair.

_It wasn’t every day that you find a man that could give you an orgasm and a grilled cheese in less than an hour._

“Killian... evenings and nights are hard for me with Henry but would you be available for lunch any other time this week?” she asked.

He smiled widely. “My schedule is quite clear and I can even cancel on my brother if needed.”

“I’ll text you?”

He reached down to cradle her face with his hand, pressing his lips softly to hers. “Goodbye, Emma.”

“Goodbye, Killian”

 


	6. VI

_When he started sweet-talkin' to me_   
_He'd come'n tell me "Everything is all right"_   
_He'd kiss and tell me "Everything is all right"_   
_Can I get away again tonight?_

_It was clear the gods didn’t see fit to favor him._

There was no other explanation for the amount of nonsense shenanigans the citizens of Storybrooke had decided to pull that week, depriving him from any chances to meet Emma for a _lunch break_ again.

On Tuesday, Leroy had decided that getting drunk in the evenings was no longer enough and he’d proceeded to cause a scene at Granny’s during the lunch rush.

On Wednesday, the Zimmer twins went missing, which sent Emma, David and half of the town on a frantic search only to find them holed up at the next town’s ice cream parlor. Killian had been very tempted to discipline the bloody prats himself.

On Thursday, he was pacing back and forth in his shop, eagerly checking his phone for any messages from Emma. He’d let her know there was a back entrance where she would be less likely to be noticed if she chose to use it, but nothing had been confirmed yet. His phone chirped with a message and he quickly reached to read it.

_Won’t be able to make it today. Meeting at town hall with the mayor._  

**_What in the blazes does Cora want now?_ **

_I don’t know, but your ex’s mother doesn’t take no for an answer._

**_Swan, I thought I was clear that Regina is not my ex._ **

_I know… I just wanted to tease you._

**_Blow off the meeting, come tease me in a different way._ **

_I can’t. I’ll try tomorrow. Bye._

**_Bye, Swan._ **

He sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

On Friday, even though he hadn’t heard from her, he stayed at the shop for a while before he finally decided to close up and head to his flat for lunch. As he was reaching the stairs, he heard someone knocking at the backdoor and raced to answer it, praying for a miracle.

She was standing there, a mischievous smile embellishing her face, the first few buttons of her shirt undone, showing the swell of her breasts as she purposefully leaned slightly over.

He groaned, pulling her to him as he closed the door. “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he whispered. His lips found hers forcefully, relishing in the feeling of her body against his. She seemed to be experiencing the same sensation, her hands wandering to hastily unbutton his shirt. He spun them around and pressed her against the wall, his hands coming up to undo the buttons of her shirt and softly caress her breasts over the lace of her bra.

“We’re not going to make it upstairs, are we?” he asked breathlessly.

“I don’t think so, no,” she replied, reaching to undo his belt.

“ _Swan,_ ” he growled before all logical thought left his brain and there was nothing left but ripping off each other’s clothes, desperately reaching to lower their pants, their hands wandering in haste to feel each other’s skin.  All that mattered was how great she felt as he thrust into her, pressing her against the wall and driving them both towards their release. When he was able to find his voice - and his sanity - again, he interlaced their fingers and reached to kiss her knuckles. “Call David. Make an excuse as to why you’ll be back from lunch later than expected.” His eyes bored into hers, darkened with need. “There’s no way I’d let you leave my bed right now, Emma.”

“I’m not even in your bed, Killian,” she pointed out, her hand tracing patterns on the soft skin of his hipbone, his unbuttoned jeans hanging loose.

“That can be easily arranged,” he murmured, as he pulled her by their joined hands onto the staircase.

/-/  

An hour and a half, another orgasm and a quick shower later, she sat in his kitchen and looked at the small feast he’d put together.

“You’re spoiling me,” she admitted as she contemplated the roasted chicken, the corn and baby carrots and the bread sitting there.

“Nonsense,” he replied, handing her a glass of lemonade and reaching to pick up a piece of chicken. “Just fulfilling my civic duty, Deputy Swan.” He smirked as he fed her some chicken, his thumb tracing her bottom lip as she closed her mouth around his fingers seductively. He fixed her a plate and sat next to her. “Dig in, love. There’s pie for dessert.”

He noticed her eyes resting on him as they shared their meal and he took a few seconds before he met her curious stare. “What?” he asked, his tongue tracing a wet trail on his lower lip.

“Nothing… it’s just - how did you learn to do all this?” she pointed at the food in front of them. “And there’s _pie_?”

“I didn’t make the pie,” he chuckled. “That’s from Granny’s.” She cocked an eyebrow at him and he sighed. “Are you asking about my life story, Swan?”

She bit her lower lip and reached for the carrots. “I guess I am,” she confessed.

“Aye…let’s just say, I used to spend a lot of time at Granny’s when I was a kid. Mom moved us here when I was about seven, desperate to leave our country after my father walked out on us. There wasn’t much work here, but Granny offered her a couple of shifts as a waitress.” Killian reached for his glass of lemonade, taking a long gulp before he continued. “Money was usually tight, but we never went to bed hungry. Granny used to see to that. She - she used to serve us pie when we were at the cafe in the afternoon doing our homework. She was fully aware our mom couldn’t afford any sweets or treats for us and Granny just wouldn’t listen to my mom’s objections. She’d just place these big slices on our table, a carton of milk next to it and say that she wouldn’t be any richer or poorer for two damn slices.” His voice broke at that last thought, and he averted his eyes, focusing on the floor. He felt Emma’s warm hand covering his and he lifted his eyes to meet her green ones, looking at him with sad understanding. He smiled, waving his other hand dismissively. “Things eventually got better, but I seemed to have picked up a cooking tip or two from the time spent there as a lad.” He reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Along with a penchant for blueberry pie.”

Emma’s lips curved into a smile before she reached to kiss him softly.

/-/

“You’re awfully quiet today,” Liam pointed out from his seat at their usual booth at Granny's later that afternoon.

“Am I? I hadn't noticed,” Killian replied, leaning back in the seat and sprawling his legs comfortably. “Are you and your lovely wife planning on inviting me to dinner tonight or do I have to invite myself?” Killian asked nonchalantly, reaching to reorder the salt and pepper shakers on the table. 

“You're always welcome at our house, Killian,” Liam stated, a confused look marring his face. “But it's Friday night. I thought you were going to hit the bar as you usually do…” his brother trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished, but its intent was quite clear.

“I'm not in the mood.” Killian avoided his brother’s gaze, choosing to let his eyes wander through the establishment, perking up when he heard the little bell sounding at the entrance.

As luck would have it, Emma Swan walked in, heading directly towards the counter and placing an order with Granny. Killian spotted the two cups of coffee already sitting there on the counter and decided quickly to take action.

“I’ll get our order from the counter,” he announced and moved quickly before Liam could utter his objection.

Granny spotted him coming their way and gave him a fond smile. “You don’t need to come pick up the coffee, dear. I was on my way to take them to you after I was done with Emma’s order.”

“It’s alright, Granny, it won’t kill me to carry two coffees all the way to my booth,” Killian said as Emma turned around and spotted him, a small smile coming to her face. “Good afternoon, Deputy Swan.” He bowed his head at her.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jones,” Emma replied, slightly amused, the corners of her mouth curving into a delightful smile, her eyes dancing with mischief.

He was taken aback by that, memories of their bodies joined only a few hours before flooding his mind, the feeling of her skin against his fingertips as her moans filled his bedroom, her body arching to meet his as his thrusts pressed her into the mattress. He had to shake his head to chase away the thoughts that were making him feel light-headed all of the sudden. He cleared his throat and focused his eyes on her again. Emma was looking him up and down, a small chuckle leaving her lips.

“What’s so funny?” he asked curiously.

She quickly turned her eyes to the side to check if Granny was paying attention to them, but the old woman was focused on preparing her order. “Nothing,” she offered, biting her lower lip and tilting her head. “It’s nice to see you off balance for once.”

He reached to scratch behind his ear, a soft smile curving the corners of his lips. “I tend to lose my wits a lot around you, Swan. It’s the effect you have on me.” He’d let the last words escape him almost against his will, whispered softly to allow her to pretend not to have heard them if she wanted. He watched as Emma tensed briefly, averting her eyes and focusing on the counter. He sighed and reached to grab the two mugs that were still waiting for him.

“Have a nice day, Deputy Swan,” he politely bid her farewell her, his voice neutral and loud enough for the rest of the diner to hear if needed. She nodded at him, her eyes briefly connecting with his before he turned around and headed towards the booth he and Liam have occupied almost every afternoon for decades.

Liam threw him an inquisitive glance, but Killian put on his best _I’m an innocent soul_ face and took a sip of his coffee. He hadn’t had the time to set the mug back on the table when Granny approached them with a knowing smile and a plate with a slice of blueberry pie on it in her hand. She placed the plate in front of Killian and handed him a fork.

“Granny, while I’m thankful for your continuous effort to spoil me, there’s no need for you to gift me with pie any longer,” Killian said with a grateful smile on his face. “I can very much pay for it now.”

“Oh, I know, dear, but this isn’t from me.” Granny cocked an eyebrow at him, resting her hand on her hip. “Compliments from the deputy,” she announced, tilting her head towards Emma before turning around and leaving them, laughing lightly.

Killian felt his cheeks burning and though he tried, he couldn’t help but glance up towards the counter, just in time to see Emma leaving the diner, not before she looked at him over her shoulder with a satisfied smirk.

_Oh, Swan._

He averted his gaze, softly chuckling to himself as he contemplated the dessert in front of him, fighting the urge to go after her and ruin their entire secret.

“Care to explain this, little brother?” Liam asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

_To hell with this town._

“I’ll be right back.” Killian smirked, not giving Liam a chance to say anything else as he got up and quickly strode towards the back entrance. He knew the fastest way to catch Emma was when she passed by the back alley on her way towards the station.

As if on perfect timing, she was only a few steps ahead of him when he got out the back door and walked towards the alley.

“Swan!” he called for her, trying to keep his voice to a bare minimum.

Emma turned around, confused, and her eyes shone when she spotted him. She cocked an eyebrow at him and it was all the encouragement Killian needed to reach for her and pull her into a kiss.

He rested his forehead against hers as he broke the kiss. “The weekend is probably ruled out but I’ll see you on Monday?”  he asked, his piercing eyes looking at her hopefully and a small smile gracing his lips.

“I’ll try,” she promised softly.

“Have a nice afternoon,” he whispered against her lips, stealing a final kiss from her.

“You too, ” she said under her breath, her green eyes casting a smitten look his way.

Liam was waiting for him, a stern look on his face as he tapped his fingers on the table. “What are you playing at, Killian?”

“Nothing, Liam,” Killian said as he sat back down and grabbed the fork. “Pie?” he offered with an innocent smile. 

/-/

Even though he’d wanted - and he’d _really_ wanted to- he refrained from sitting next to her at church on Sunday, choosing to sit with Elsa and his nephews. His sister-in-law’s knowing smile let him in on the fact that he was not fooling her, but at least he tried not to stare in Emma’s direction. _Much_.

There had been a glance or two. Or _five_. A small smirk when her eyes met his one time. A scratch behind his ear before he averted his gaze.

He was the epitome of a good boy when he greeted Emma, Henry and the Nolans at the exit, smiling at Henry’s excitement over the upcoming trip to the mall with Emma, plans to spend the afternoon with the two of them at the arcade.

But all that facade he’d carefully constructed throughout the entire day came crumbling down as his phone vibrated with a new text while he was perched on a stool in his brother’s kitchen.

_I can definitely make it tomorrow for lunch ;)_

He smiled as he typed in his reply.

“Something funny?” Elsa asked, a hint of a smile as she wrapped a plate of leftovers for him to take home.

“Nothing,” Killian replied, tilting his head and focusing on the food Elsa was putting together. “Can I get two slices of your frozen chocolate cake?” Elsa’s signature cake was a delicious combination of chocolate decadence and walnut crust and he could picture Emma’s lustful moans at tasting it. He simply _had to._

“Why would you want two slices?” Liam asked suspiciously, giving him that inquisitive stare that made it almost impossible for Killian to lie to his brother.

“I…” he trailed off, reaching to scratch behind his ear and stalling for some time.

“Killian-”  Liam started in a reproachful tone but it was Elsa who cut him off, raising a finger at her husband and speaking in her most motherly tone. “Liam.. leave your brother alone. And yes, Killian you can take two slices with you. I’ll wrap them up.”

/-/

On Wednesday, Killian entered the bowling alley with a huge smile on his face. Monday’s lunch had been fantastic. He’d been right, Emma did love the chocolate cake and the moans she elicited were enough to drive him crazy as he pressed her against the kitchen counter and ravished her body thoroughly. Today, he’d gotten a repeat performance that had left him in a cheerful mood. He hadn’t had this fun in - well - _years_.

“Gentleman,” he greeted with a small nod of his head towards the assembly of men that had huddled by the lanes, beer and appetizers already on the table.

“Someone is quite chipper,” Graham said, cocking an eyebrow at him. “Life seems to be smiling at you, Killian Jones.”

Flashes of Emma invaded his thoughts and he had to tone down the smile that he knew was gracing his features. “Aye, mate. Can’t say I have anything to complain about.”

“Wow, she must have been really good to put that smile on your face,” Walsh said, taking a sip of his beer. Killian knew he was trying to jest about it, but it had come off as leering and out-of-place.

He chuckled dismissively, trying to divert the attention. “A gentleman never tells, Walsh. You should know that by now.”

Killian’s soft smirk died in his lips as he witnessed David placing his glass of beer forcefully on the table, sloshing part of his drink.

“Are you alright, Dave?” he asked.

David lifted his head and the rage in his eyes almost made Killian take a step back. “Mate?” he asked again.

“Don’t call me that!” David growled, standing up and coming face to face with Killian, whispering in a low but ruthless tone. “You think I don’t know what’s going between you and Emma?”

“I beg your pardon?” Killian feigned confusion and surprise, trying to avert the situation.

“I’m _not_ an idiot Killian,” David replied, fisting his hands at his sides. “She’s been making up an awful lot of excuses at lunch time,” he finished in an accusatory tone.

“I’m not sure what that has to do with me,” Killian countered, his own tone raising in anger. They seemed to have caught everyone’s attention, because Graham and Liam exchanged glances before ushering the others to move on with the game and staying behind to mediate if needed.

“ _I saw you_ the other day - behind Granny’s. Are you going to deny it?” David spat, and Killian’s smile faltered.

_Bloody Hell._

“What are you playing at?” David inquired, his face closer to Killian’s. Killian clenched his jaw, breathing through his nostrils as he tried to ignore the accusation in his friend’s tone.

“Nothing, mate,” he stated. “Leave it alone,” he warned, raising an eyebrow at him.

“You couldn’t keep your hands off of her, couldn’t you? You just _had_ to go after the new girl in town-” David ranted, but Killian cut him off by taking one step closer, his jaw clenching again as he bore his eyes into David’s.

“David, this is not the time nor the place,” he said calmly, the threat palpable in his words. “Nor do I discuss my personal _liaisons_ with parties not involved.”

David sneered, “I know you. I know your reputation.” He looked down at Killian with contempt. “Emma’s not some conquest for you to have your fun with. You don’t know what she’s been through.”

The disapproving words cut deep into Killian. “What makes you think I don’t-” he started defensively but David cut him off with a disapproving chuckle and a head shake.

“She doesn’t deserve someone like-” 

“Like what, mate? Like _me_?” Killian asked heatedly, unable to keep the edge from his voice.

“Please, now you’re going to tell me that you actually care for her? For what she’s gone through? Killian Jones, thinking of anything more than just himself when it comes to adding a notch on his bedpost?” David lifted his hand as if challenging Killian to prove him wrong.

Killian’s hand fisted over David’s shirt, pulling him towards him. He felt unjustly accused, but there was a slight hint of truth in David’s words that stung him deeply. He saw Liam and Graham out of the corner of his eye, reaching for him and David in order to stop the oncoming fight.

“Gentlemen,” Graham said. “I might not have jurisdiction in this place anymore, but that won’t stop me from tossing both of you in jail if that’s what’s needed to cool this off.”

“I’m sure no one wants to reach that point, do we?” Liam continued, his eyes darting from David to Killian as if to placate them.

But there was something else brewing underneath and Killian could feel it. David’s instant respect towards Graham’s words and actions, Liam’s intent to appease the situation without taking sides. Silently, stealthily, they spoke volumes to Killian as to how he was perceived by the ones that were the closest to him.

He took a step back, trying to mask the self-loathing he was feeling. “I think it might be best if I retire for the evening.” His eyes darted from one to the other, “Graham, Sheriff, Brother.” He simply nodded before turning around and leaving.

Liam caught up with him right at the exit. “Killian!”

Killian turned around, barely containing his temper. “Liam…what do you want from me now? Wasn’t your silence in there enough of a statement?”

“I just- ” Liam started apologetically. “David worries for her.”

Killian shook his head and smiled sadly. “I am not forcing her to do anything. You know that, don’t you?” He tilted his head, unable to contain the sadness in his voice at his brother’s judgement. “She’s the one that reached out and I don’t see why what we do or don’t do is any of the _sheriff’s_ – or the _preacher’s_ business,” he finished.

Liam sighed, reaching to scratch behind his ear. “I am not talking as a preacher, I am talking as your _brother._ I worry for you.the way the town is already talking...” he trailed off. “I don’t want them to think that you- ”

“I don’t care what _they_ think, Liam!” Killian spat, his words coming out more forcefully than he intended. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. “I care what _you_ think.” Killian sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You know, I don’t need you to approve of my choices… but it would be nice if you respected them,” he finished sadly, before turning around and leaving his brother standing there.

/-/

Killian hadn’t gotten far when he bumped into Emma, Henry and Mary Margaret walking on Main Street.

_Bloody small town._

“Killian!” Mary Margaret called, confused, tilting her head to the side and squinting her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought you were bowling today,” Emma said and her eyes widened the second the words left her mouth. He chuckled as he could see Mary Margaret looking from one to the other, the wheels turning in her head as Emma tried to defuse the situation.

“David mentioned you guys were bowling today,” Emma said nervously, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. From the corner of his eye he could see that Henry was now looking from one to the other with a skeptical look.

_Come on, Swan. Try harder._

She darted a questioning look at Killian and he sighed, shaking his head in defeat.

“Killian-” Mary Margaret pressed with a suspicious look. “Why aren’t you with David and the others?”

Killian shuffled uncomfortably. “It seemed that I might have had a disagreement with our sheriff and preacher around certain--- _topics_.” His eyes darted briefly to Emma and he could see the brief flash of understanding in them before she schooled her features. He shrugged, a self-deprecating smile coming to his lips.

Mary Margaret, on the other hand, didn’t hide her faltering smile. “ _Oh_ ,” she said in an understanding tone before she changed the subject. “We’re going to the film festival in Town Hall, they are showcasing _The Goonies,”_ she explained as she, Emma and Henry started walking.

“Oh, a new release, wonderful!” Killian teased, falling into step with them.

“Do you have a problem with the classics, Jones?” Emma asked, a hint of mischief in her voice.

“None whatsoever, Swan,” he replied, waggling his eyebrows at her as he halted, rocking back and forth on his heels, his hands in his pockets.

Emma stopped as well and examined him. She was ready to retort when Mary Margaret cleared her throat. “Look at that,” she said pointing at the phone in her hand. “Ashley just sent me a message that there is an emergency with the twins. I better go see what it is. Killian, would you be so kind to accompany Emma and Henry to the movie? I’d hate for the ticket to go to waste.” She didn’t give them time to object before she was ruffling Henry’s hair. “I’ll see you later. Have a nice time!”

And with that, she disappeared into the street. Killian and Emma stood there, mouths gaping and looking shockingly at the pixie cut brunette’s retreating form. Killian shuffled his feet, reaching to scratch behind his ear before he darted a hopeful look at Emma, cocking an eyebrow at her while tilting his head. Emma shrugged and smiled at him, cocking her head to the side to point towards Town Hall. “Let’s go,” she said softly and Killian couldn’t hold back the smile that graced his lips.

Henry trotted two steps ahead of them, out of earshot, and Emma took the opportunity to address Killian.

“Ashley doesn’t really call Mary Margaret for an emergency, does she?” she asked.

“I know for a fact that the twins are spending the night at Elsa and Liam’s house,” Killian replied, reaching to softly brush Emma’s hand with his fingers. “Emma-  I’m sorry. I...” He trailed off, his eyes boring into hers with guilt.

She smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it. I guess it was bound to happen, wasn’t it? Besides, I think David will be the one in for some scolding tonight.” She reached to squeeze his hand briefly. “Let’s enjoy the movie.”

Killian bought popcorn and sodas for the three of them and they sat down to enjoy the movie. Both Emma and Killian were aware of the subtle and not-so-subtle looks and whispers coming their way, but they chose to ignore them as they waited for the movie to start. Henry sat between them and Killian focused on answering his questions about the bookstore, his favorite sports and other stories Killian had about growing up in Storybrooke until the movie finally started. When the movie finished and they were out on the street, Henry turned to look at Killian. “We’re going to Granny’s. Do you want to come with us?” he asked, grinning.

Killian looked to Emma’s for confirmation. She seemed hesitant for a minute before she looked at her son’s eager face and her lips curved into a pleasant smile and nodded at him. “Sure, why not?”

Henry beamed excitedly as he started to walk towards the diner and Emma was about to follow when Killian’s hand on her arm stopped her.

“Emma, are you ok with this?” he asked, not wanting to force her into a situation she might not be comfortable with.

“Henry, grab us a booth, we’ll be right behind you,” Emma called before she faced Killian again. “Yeah, it’s fine - I mean, we’ve already been to the movies together...” she trailed off, reaching nervously to play with her hair.

“Emma, we’re having fun together, right?” His eyes fixated on hers as he swallowed hard, David’s words resonating within him. “If somehow I’ve pushed you into something you’re not comfortable with, if I-”

Emma stopped his words, her hand reaching to grasp his arm. “What exactly did David say to you?”

Killian cleared his throat, averting his gaze shamefully as he spoke. “He said that you deserved better than someone who collects notches on his bedpost.”

She squeezed tighter on his arm and he lifted his head to see her eyes burning with rage. She took a deep breath and looked at him determined. “Killian, you were right the other day. I don’t want to stop doing stuff because of town gossip. Especially not the fun stuff I’m doing with you,” she finished in a flirty tone.

“But Henry…” Killian pointed out.

Emma shrugged nonchalantly. “He invited you to eat with us, didn’t he? Just- let’s not overthink it. This is a fling, right?” She cocked an eyebrow at him and he nodded. “Very well then, let’s make it a very scandalous fling that will have them talking for weeks.”

She reached for his hand and pulled him with her towards the diner. He fell in step next to her, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him to whisper in her ear. “Careful, Swan or I might be tempted to kiss you right here,” he threatened, and he could feel her body shivering next to his.

“Perhaps I want you to,” she teased, her tongue darting to wet her lips.

“Mom, Killian, come on!” Henry called from Granny’s door and they pulled away from each other as they entered the diner.

Emma ordered a grilled cheese and onion rings, while Killian and Henry opted for cheeseburgers and fries. They dug into the food quickly as Killian and Henry kept discussing different sports. Henry had expressed an interest in joining the junior soccer league and Killian was providing encouraging words and pointers on the game.

“Mom, can I have pie?” Henry asked at the end of the meal.

“Sure,” Emma said. “Do you want to go and choose at the counter?”

“Make sure to ask Granny to give you a big slice. My treat,” Killian said and Henry nodded as he stood up.

“Henry, ask Granny for a slice of blueberry pie for Killian,” Emma added as Henry headed to the counter.

Killian grinned at her, but his smile soon faltered as he realized everyone in the diner was staring at them. He’d been so wrapped up in his conversation with Emma and Henry that he hadn’t noticed their surroundings until then.

Emma’s eyes squinted in confusion at his change in mood and she tilted her head questioningly.

“Aye, it seems we’re becoming quite the entertainment, Swan,” Killian offered as an explanation.

Emma’s eyes scanned the diner before she shrugged noncommittally. “Oh well, it’s like you said the other day: if you worry too much about town gossip, you never get to live your life.” She took a second look around the place and actually waved at some locals that were looking at them. “Besides, I’m sure I was already the topic of conversation, considering the circumstances that brought me here.”

“Emma, what happened?” Killian inquired, eager to know the rest of the story. He remembered Emma’s word from the night they met at the bar and she was right, there had been rumors and gossip regarding her, but he still wanted to hear it from her. “I mean if- if you want to tell me.”

Emma pondered for a moment before she said bluntly, “He was cheating on me. With the neighbor.”

“Tactful,” Killian wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Emma chuckled. “Neal is not known for that. He and I split when I got pregnant with Henry and I carried on without him. It was only a few years ago when he showed up and I thought - I wanted Henry to have his family. Have what I didn’t...” she trailed off, letting the memories flood her one last time before she pushed them away. “At least I tried, right?” she finished as she reached to take a sip of her beer.

“Aye, you did.”

“Now I know,” Emma sighed, her fingers toying with the rim of her glass.

“Know what?” he asked curiously.

 “That the whole idea of a perfect little family and the fairytale happy ending is not for me,” Emma stated with a hint of sadness in her voice. She smiled at him when she noticed the sympathy in his eyes. “It’s fine, I still have Henry. And I tried, it just didn’t work out. I’ve put it behind me - those things are for people like David and Mary Margaret.”

“Or my brother,” Killian sighed, his hand fidgeting with his glass as well.

“Oh yes, I’m sure the preacher of the town has a fairytale love story,” Emma said with a small smile on her lips.

“Oh, you’d be surprised, Swan.” Killian waggled his eyebrows and Emma ducked her head, blushing. Killian was about to reach for her hand when Henry came back, Granny in tow, carrying two plates with slices of pie.

/-/

Since Mary Margaret had conveniently ditched them, Killian offered to drive Emma and Henry back to the farm. When they got out of the car, Killian was trying to figure out the correct protocol for a goodbye when Henry looked from one to the other and beamed. “Goodnight, Killian. It was nice seeing you again,” he said before he reached the steps and entered the farmhouse, leaving a flustered Killian and Emma behind.

Killian turned to face Emma standing next to him by his car, her mouth twisted in a disbelieving smile at her son’s perceptive skills. Despite the entire craziness of the night, she looked at ease, relaxed… _beautiful_.

She noticed his staring and turned to face him. “What?” she asked, biting her bottom lip playfully.

The words came to his mouth without warning, without him even realizing he was thinking them. “I can’t believe anyone in their right mind would go to someone else if they had you,” he professed.

Her eyes searched his for something, he wasn’t quite sure what, but whatever it was, she found it as she leaned in closer to him. His hand cradled her face, his thumb trailing across her cheek as his lips found hers and he was kissing her slowly, a soft movement of their lips as his body pressed flush against hers and she leaned into the door of his car.

The headlights of a car interrupted them and Killian pulled away as he adjusted his eyes to see David’s truck pulling into the driveway. Both David and Mary Margaret got out of the car, and while she was smiling, all Killian could see was David’s angry scowl.

He took another step away from Emma, whispering, “I should go.”

But Emma had another idea, and she pulled him into her by the lapels of his leather jacket. “Not yet,” she stated as she reached to fuse her lips with his in a searing kiss. He couldn’t help the moan that came to his lips as he forgot all about David and lost himself kissing Emma, his hands wandering to grab her hips and pull her closer to him.

She brushed her lips one more time with his as her nose nuzzled his, whispering breathlessly, “Lunch tomorrow?”

“Aye,” was all he could manage to utter, breathless and panting, intoxicated by the nearness of her.

She smiled and gave him a final kiss before she turned to walk up the stairs to where David and Mary Margaret were entering the house. Emma turned around at the very last minute and called for him.

“Killian, you don’t need to cook. I’ll pick us up something from Granny’s. I know your entire order now, right?” She smiled mischievously at him, her eyes dancing with mirth.

He shook his head at her. 

_Bloody Hell, Swan. You’re brilliant._


	7. VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm battling writer's block. Please be kind and review if you liked it!

_How well I remember_   
_The look that was in his eyes_   
_Stealin' kisses from me on the sly_

Emma was standing by the counter at Granny’s the next day at lunch hour, waiting for her order, when she heard someone clearing his throat. She turned her face to meet the blue eyes of Liam Jones, looking sheepishly at her.

“Deputy Swan,” he greeted her.

“Please, call me Emma,” she offered with a polite smile, the warmth not reaching her eyes.

“It seems we are both picking up lunch,” he said as he stood next to her. “I’m sure David will appreciate you taking him lunch, it’s a nice gesture.”

Before she had time to say anything, there was a soft thud as Granny placed a big brown bag in front of her. “Grilled cheese with onion rings and double cheeseburger with extra bacon - no pickles - and fries.”

Liam tilted his head, the information sinking into him. “That is not David’s-” he started but Granny cut him off, a sly smile coming to her face.

“And I added two slices of blueberry pie. _On the house_. You two have a nice lunch, dear.” She smiled tenderly at Emma before turning around to focus on another customer.

“Well,” Liam gave her a self-deprecating grin, “I guess this puts a damper on the hopes I had for a lunch plan. You seem to have beaten me to it.”

“Perhaps you can take David his lunch and you two can sit down and continue minding things that are not your business,” the words left her mouth before she could stop them. Liam gasped, his mouth hanging slightly open in shock, and she bit her lower lip sheepishly.

“I had that one coming, didn’t I?” Liam said as he reached to scratch behind his ear. “Look, Emma-” he started but Emma cut him off.

“Look, I know being self-righteous probably comes with the turf of being a preacher, but Killian - Killian hasn’t done anything wrong. You know that, don’t you?” she sighed, avoiding Liam’s eyes as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. “On the contrary, he’s - he’s being quite _helpful_ to me.” Emma realized after the words left her mouth how they could be misinterpreted. She was about to clarify, but the way the tip of Liam’s ears turned pink - very much like Killian’s- was a temptation she couldn’t resist. She gave him a teasing smile, grabbed the brown bag and nodded with her head as she made to leave.

“It’s not because I’m a preacher,” Liam started, his words stopping her as his blue eyes met hers earnestly. “I’m always self-righteous when it comes to my little brother,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “But I’m sorry if I caused you any discomfort, Emma. It was never my intention.”

“It’s not me you need to apologize to,” Emma said.

“Aye. That was what the lunch was for,” Liam smiled. “But I don’t think interrupting your plans will put me in my brother’s good graces, so I guess I will keep our dear sheriff company today.”

“Good luck with that, he’s fuming,” Emma cocked an eyebrow at Liam and headed out of the dinner.

/-/

Emma noticed the middle aged brunette leaning over Killian’s counter the moment she entered the bookstore, carrying their lunch. The woman’s intent was quite clear, her body angled in a tantalizing way that she knew very well - heck, she’d done it the first night she’d met him at the bar. She felt a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach during the few seconds it took her to focus her eyes on Killian. He was leaning back, his body in a polite but clearly rejecting position as he listened intently and then handed the woman a book.

“Perhaps you can accompany me to lunch and we can continue discussing the book?” the woman all but purred at him.

Killian shifted uncomfortably and he lifted his head, his eyes connecting with hers and a genuine smile coming to his face. He turned his attention back to the woman. “That’s a kind offer, but I already have plans.”

The brunette turned around, her hazel eyes studying Emma with slight contempt. “Another time, perhaps?” she insisted, a manicured red nail scratching over the surface of the counter.

Killian smiled softly. “I don’t think so, ma’am,” he refused again, averting his eyes as the woman finally gave in and left the bookstore with a heavy sigh.

“Interesting…” Emma said as she reached him, placing the lunch bag on the counter. “Do you get a lot of lunch requests?” she asked, feigning nonchalance, but unable to keep all the edge away from her voice.

Killian cocked an eyebrow at her while he walked around the counter in a catlike manner, softly pressing his body to hers as his hands rested on the counter at her back, caging her in.

“ _Jealous_ , Swan?” he asked in a lilting voice.

“There’s nothing to be jealous about,” she deflected, shifting uncomfortably under his unwavering gaze. “You and I - we - we’re not exclusive.”

His body tensed and he took a small step back, his shoulders stiffening and a hesitant look in his eyes. “Aye,” Killian seemed to ponder his thoughts for a second as she averted her gaze. She felt his hand reach to lift her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. “You and I hadn’t discussed exclusivity, Swan,” he started in a whisper, “but that doesn’t mean we weren’t exclusive.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You mean you didn’t-”

He cut off her sentence with the press of his thumb on her lips. “I know it might seem odd due to the circumstances of our first meeting, Swan, but I don’t make a habit of running to the bar for a notch on my bedpost when I have someone entertaining my bed.” His thumb caressed her lower lip as he leaned in, his eyes intent on hers, “Especially someone as _enticing_ as you.”

He brushed his lips to hers, a soft kiss that he ended too soon, a small smile on his lips.

“Let me lock the door and we can head upstairs for lunch,” he whispered.

Emma watched him walk away from her, the taut muscles of his back visible in the black fitted T-shirt he was wearing that day, his loose denim jeans completing a picture that she found irresistible.

She caught up with him when he was locking the door and flipping the sign. Her hand caressed his as he shut down the blinds, her lips pressing a soft kiss to the nape of his neck. He froze, a sharp inhale filling the air.

“Enticing, huh?” Emma asked, and her nose nuzzled the curve of his neck and into his shoulder, her hand moving to toy with the buckle of his belt.

“Do you have any doubt, Emma?” he asked breathlessly, his hand reaching to intertwine their fingers and pull her closer to him, her chest pressed against his back.

Confessions were easier when his deep blue eyes were not on hers. Emma closed her eyes as her lips murmured against the soft skin of his neck, “I don’t - no one has ever -” her words were cut off by the way his hand squeezed hers before he turned around and his arms embraced her tightly.

She kept her eyes closed, her face burrowed in the curve of his neck, her nose breathing him in.

“Emma look at me,” he pleaded, his strained voice coming to her in a whisper. The golden flecks within his blue eyes were visible when she finally lifted her head to meet his.

There was a tender smile on his face, playing a resounding contradiction to the hard grip of his hand on her hip and the hint of an erection constrained within his pants. His voice was low, a husky exhale coming from his lips as he kept his stare on her. “Swan, you’re the most captivating woman I’ve been with in a long time. I - You really have no idea how alluring you are?” He chuckled unbelievingly, his face leaning down only a breath away from hers. “Perhaps I should show you.” His lips closed on hers, his hand firm on her hip as he assaulted her mouth passionately.

“Food’s getting cold,” she said as they broke the kiss, breathless as their chests heaved.

“Aye, we’ll continue this later then?” He smirked, his hand tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, before he led her upstairs.

Later, as she was gathering her clothing from where it was scattered around his bedroom to head back to the station, Emma felt the need to tell Killian about her earlier encounter with Liam.

“I ran into your brother at Granny’s while I was picking up lunch,” she said.

His body tensed, his jaw clenching and unclenching a few times before he spoke. “Was he - did he say something?”

Emma shook her head, “I think he wanted to come here and apologize. He’d intended to pick up lunch but when he saw my order -” she trailed off, a mischievous smile coming to her lips. “I sent him over to the station to calm David instead.”

Killian chuckled, his body relaxing as he reached to kiss her, “You’re a bloody marvel, Swan.”

“I know,” she said smugly. “But perhaps you should talk to him.”

“Aye,” Killian sighed, “I’ll invite myself to dinner tomorrow night. Spend the weekend spoiling my nephews. Do some family bonding.”

“Sounds good. Mary Margaret and I have plans to take the kids out on an excursion on Saturday.”

“See you at church on Sunday?” he bit his lower lip, his eyes looking sinfully at her and she could tell he was remembering her impure thoughts from a few weeks ago.

“Let’s see who sins in thoughts first,” she replied enticingly before she disentangled herself from his arms after giving him a final kiss.

/-/

“Alright, spill. What’s going on between you and Killian?” Mary Margaret handed over a thermos with hot cocoa, and placed a plate with oatmeal and chestnut homemade cookies on the picnic blanket they were sitting on. Henry, Leo and Ava were playing nearby the creek and Emma’s eyes followed them for a few moments before she turned to face Mary Margaret.

“There’s nothing to tell, really,” she deflected, opening the thermos and pouring each of them a cup of cocoa.

Mary Margaret lifted an eyebrow at her, in that way she knew was meant to quail little children into confessing their misdeeds. It shouldn’t work on Emma. It wouldn’t. She was a strong, self-sufficient adult and she was not going to succumb to such tactics.

“Fine,” Emma grunted, taking a sip of cocoa to gather courage. “We’re just having fun.”

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes in exasperation. “That was quite clear from the way he was pressing you against his car door and kissing the daylights out of you on Wednesday night,” she trailed off, picking a non-existent thread from her skirt. “I want to know how you got to that point? _Clearly_ he didn’t flirt with you and pick you up in the church pew.”

“Well…” Emma said, a smug smirk coming to her lips and Mary Margaret shoved her playfully.

“ _Really_?!?”

“ _Not exactly_.” She smiled as she took a bite of one of the cookies. “We ran into each other that first night at the bar and - you know,” Emma shrugged, leaving the sentence unfinished.

“No, I don’t know. I’ve never in my life picked up a stranger in a bar for a passionate night. So you’ll have to fill in the details for me because I intend to live vicariously through you.” Mary Margaret pointed a finger at her, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“Nuh - uh,” Emma shook her head, realizing that she didn’t want to share certain details.

“That good?” Mary Margaret teased, lifting an eyebrow at her. After a moment, she squeezed Emma’s hand. “I’m happy for you, you know?”

“We’re just fooling around. This is not - this isn’t a serious thing, Mary Margaret. This is a _fling_ ,” Emma clarified, trying to convey with her voice that Killian and she were not a fairytale ending waiting to happen. She didn’t need Mary Margaret to get any crazy ideas about what was only a scandalous affair.

“Oh, I know, I know.” Mary Margaret lifted her hands in defense. “You’re not interested in any formal relationship and whatnot. Don’t worry, I remember the speech.”

“Does David remember?” Emma asked hesitantly. David and she had been at odd ends since that Wednesday night and while she wasn’t willing to stop things with Killian, she wasn’t happy about the situation either.

“He’s - dealing with it,” Mary Margaret offered, a soft sigh coming to her lips. “You have to understand, this isn’t easy for him. Killian’s reputation-”

“It’s no one’s business,” Emma cut her off, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Look,” she sighed, “I really don’t care about his reputation, you know? He could be a total cad for all I care, but he’s never lied to _me_ about it. I knew what I was getting into when I was jumping into it. No lies, no deceits. No fucking promises of eternal love that meant nothing.” She winced at the forceful tone of her last sentence, realizing a minute too late how much she’d gotten carried away.

Mary Margaret reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Just a fling. Having fun. Never lied to you. _Duly noted_. ” She smiled at her friend. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try to get David to back off.”

“You’re my favorite,” Emma said, relief clear in her eyes.

“I’ve been telling you for years that _he_ was actually the worst!” Mary Margaret pointed out, her hand reaching for the cookies. 

/-/

It wasn’t like _they_ planned it. It was just a series of (mis) fortunate events. Emma was sitting on the pew, Henry right next to her, dutifully waiting for the service to start and ignoring the stares she was getting from half the parishioners. She had been raised in the system, she had thick skin. Killian had walked in right behind his nephews, stopping by to greet Granny with a soft kiss on the old woman’s cheek. And _just_ when he was passing by her pew, his eyes focused on her and Henry and he nodded his head in way of greeting.

“Hi Killian, do you want to sit with us?” Henry asked, scooting to the side to make room for him.

Killian had frozen for a second, his eyes darting quickly to Emma and looking for permission before Mary Margaret decided to take matters into her own hands.

“Just sit here, Killian. Elsa’s pew is fully occupied anyway.” They turned their heads to where Elsa was sitting, shrugging apologetically at the lack of space on her bench, a small smirk on her face.

“Bloody conspirators,” Killian muttered under his breath before he took a seat next to Henry, who started talking quickly about soccer. A soft smile came to his lips as he looked at Emma above Henry’s head for a brief second before he turned his attention back to the lad and his questions about the sport.

It was a lovely sermon, Emma had to acknowledge that. Liam’s modulated voice carried through the open space, his words an inspiring tale about rushed judgement and misperceptions, even with the best of intentions. Emma noticed the preacher’s eyes darting towards Killian from time to time and she dared to steal a glance in his direction as well. Killian was listening attentively, his body bent slightly forward, his elbows on his knees. There was a hint of a shy smile there and it made Emma smile in return before she focused her attention back to the sermon.

Once the service was over and Henry had dashed quickly towards the exit, Emma took the chance to approach Killian as they made their way to the church’s entrance.

“Well, he certainly _groveled_ ,” she attested once she was sure no one was listening to them.

Killian tilted his head to focus on her. “He laid it on a little thick, don’t you think?” he seemed nonchalant and even shrugged but Emma could see the corner of his mouth tilting up into a small smile.

“I think you should give him some credit… he did that _publicly_.”

“Aye, I guess so,” Killian smiled, reaching to scratch behind his ear. They were getting close to the entrance and Emma could feel several sets of eyes focusing on them. She took a deep breath and tried to relax as they reached the small group made up of David, Mary Margaret, Henry, Liam, Elsa and all the kids.

“Any fun plans?” she asked once they were all gathered up in the front yard.

“Liam and I are taking the twins fishing,” Killian clapped Liam’s shoulder and smiled at his brother. “Nothing like the Jones boys bonding over bait and fishing poles.”

“And I, for once, am looking forward to a quiet afternoon with a cup of tea and a book,” Elsa added, looking fondly at her husband. “I don’t remember the last time I had one of those,” she teased, her warm smile spreading a light mood all around.

“That sounds like fun,” Henry said with a slight hint of sadness in his voice.

Liam exchanged a brief look with Killian before he bent to meet Henry’s eyes. “You can come with us if you want Henry. I mean - If you mother is ok with that…”

“Mom, can I go?” Henry asked enthusiastically while Declan and Phin added their pleas as well.

“Are you sure?” Emma asked Liam. “It seemed like it was a family event.”

Four sets of crystal blue eyes looked eagerly at her, two generations of Jones focusing all their charm on her. It made her dizzy and she almost had to reach out to Mary Margaret for support.

“Please, Emma, we’d love to have Henry,” Liam said.

Emma finally nodded and there was the deafening sound of three children celebrating.

“Come lad, you can ride shotgun with me.” Killian’s hand rested on Henry’s shoulder before his eyes found Emma’s. “I’ll drop him by the farm later, is that ok?”

“Yeah, thank you Killian,” she bit her lower lip, trying hard to fight the blush that was coming to her cheeks.

“You’re welcome, Swan,” he smirked at her.

The sun was almost setting on the horizon when Henry finally came back. He darted towards the inside of the house, his hands holding a bag carefully. Emma could smell the scent of fresh fish hitting her.

“How was the fishing, kid?” Emma asked from where she was perched on the couch.

“It went great!” Henry exclaimed excitedly. “I was able to catch a lot of fish.” He pointed proudly to the bag he was holding.

Emma nodded and waited, not quite daring to turn her head and steal a glance through the window. It seemed her kid was onto her anyway because Henry smiled knowingly before he pointed towards the front yard of the farm.

“Killian is waiting outside. He said he wanted to give you a full report of how the experience was.”

“Isn't that wonderful!” Mary Margaret said as she darted into the living room with two beer bottles in her hands. “Emma why don't take this beer outside for Killian?  I'm sure he’ll be thankful for the refreshment after spending all day fishing under the sun.” She smiled softly as she looked at Henry. “Come Henry.  I'll teach you how to clean and cook the fish. We will include it in the dinner menu.”

Emma quickly checked her reflection in the mirror, running a hand through her hair before she headed outside with the two beers in hand.

Killian was leaning carelessly on the hood of his car, his hair hidden underneath a baseball cap. His eyes were lost in the horizon but they soon zeroed in on her as she made her way towards him. He had a straw of hay in his mouth and she chuckled at the image.

“What, no cowboy hat?” she teased.

He scooted over the hood and reached to grab beer she was offering. “Howdy, Swan.” He tipped the rim of his cap with the neck of the bottle, the words sounding funny on his thick British accent.

“Thanks for bringing Henry home.” She leaned in closer before she caught a whiff of him. “Wow. You smell.”

“I was fishing, Swan,” he replied, offended. “The activity involved cleaning up the fish so Elsa could cook them.” His face was twisted in half distaste and half sadness at her words. She leaned closer again, taking a sip of her beer.

“Mary Margaret hadn’t said, but I’m sure she’d be ok if you stayed for dinner.”

“I’m not sure David would be,” he sighed, removing his cap and running a hand through his hair. “Besides, I promised the twins that I would grill the fish for them today…” he trailed off, his eyes meeting hers sheepishly.

“It’s ok,” she assured him. “Family - family is important.”

A soft smile played on his lips before he lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“You bet, cowboy.”

/-/

It had been a few quiet weeks at the station - followed by uneventful weekends that included quality time with Henry, hanging out lazily at the farm and one or two escapades to _Sherwood_ and later the inn for a _quiet moment_ \- and Emma thought that things were finally getting back to normal - or the new normal she now lived in - when David delivered the blow she hadn’t seen coming.

“Graham called. He’s on his own in his jurisdiction and a few things came up, so he’s asking for some assistance.”

“That makes sense,” Emma shrugged. “Are you going to head over there tomorrow? I can cover here.”

“Actually-” David started in that half uncertain, half uncomfortable tone that Emma knew too well. It was the tone that made the hair on the back of her head raise in alarm. “I was thinking you could perhaps assist him? I’ve asked him to come to dinner to the farm tonight so you two can talk about it. It would be good for you to get to know other people around here.” The last part of that sentence was barely audible, as David averted his gaze from her.

Emma fixed her glare on him, waiting for David to meet her eyes again. He eventually did, a small sigh escaping his lips.

“ _Really_?” she asked. “He needs help with police work and you think the best scenario is a dinner at the farm? How long until you and Mary Margaret disappear claiming being tired and you leave me alone with him?” She crossed arms over her chest and tapped on the floor with her foot.

David looked slightly contrite but held his ground. “I just thought-”

“You just _thought_ that you would set me up with Graham, the perfect candidate you’ve picked for me and that I’d just fall right into it,” Emma cut him off, raising an eyebrow accusingly at him.

“Emma, you have to understand-” David exhaled, taking a step towards her. “I’m just trying to look out for you. You’ve been through so much in your life with Neal, that I just don’t want you to put yourself in a position where you might get hurt again. Graham is a good man.”

“And you’re implying that some of the company I’m keeping isn’t?”

“All I’m saying is there’s a story there and Killian doesn’t - he’s not interested in-” he trailed off, another heavy sigh escaping his lips.

“Whatever you think Killian is or isn’t, I’m not interested, David,” Emma retorted, feeling frustrated and drained at the same time. “I’m quite capable of judging people on my own and I know _exactly_ what I’m doing. Which might not be what you want for me, but it’s _not_ your decision to make.”

“Emma, that is not-” David tried to appease the situation and Emma felt a slight pang of guilt.

“Look, I’m- I’m thankful for your help in getting me this job and letting us stay on the farm until I get on my own two feet. _I am_ ,” Emma said, taking a deep breath before delivering the rest of her words. “But it cannot come at the expense of you telling me how to live my life. Or whom I should have dinner with. It can’t.”

David scoffed, his own temper raising. “It’s not like Killian is taking you to dinner in town, Emma. Or even attempting to do anything other than-”

“Other than exactly what I want him to do to me,” Emma blurted out and the bluntness of her words surprised the both of them. They stared at each other for a while, before Emma leaned over her desk to grab her bag. “I think it’s best if I leave for a while. I - I don’t think this will get us anywhere.”

“Yeah, perhaps you can take the afternoon off, I can manage. I will have to do it on my own anyway if you’re going to be helping Graham for the next few days,” David offered. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

Emma gave him one last determined look. “I’ll be there only if you fix whatever impression you gave Sheriff Humbert that the night would be about.”

/-/

Killian sat by the counter in his bookstore with a novel as he passed the time. The little bell on the door announced a newcomer, but he hadn’t had time to lift his head from the page before a voice came to him.

“Glad to see business is giving you time to catch up on your reading,” Graham smirked.

“Sheriff Humbert, what brings you to our humble town again after you left us in search for glory?” Killian saluted before he put a mark on the page and closed the book, placing it on the counter.

“An interesting story I think I should share with you,” Graham said, taking a few steps and reaching to shake Killian’s hand. “I have a few cases I need help with at my station and we’re short on staff, so I called our esteemed Sheriff Nolan today and asked for his assistance. Imagine my surprise when, instead of him, he volunteered the services of his deputy instead.”

Killian’s smile faltered. “He did?”

“Aye,” Graham confirmed, his eyebrow raising. “He even suggested I join them for dinner at the farm tonight, so Emma and I could get acquainted.”

Killian’s jaw clenched. “Is that so?” he bit out the words.

Graham leaned over the counter. “So help me out here, Killian. I was under the impression - after that _pleasant_ scene at bowling a few weeks ago - that you and Miss Swan were-”

Killian nodded, his eyes averting Graham’s for a second. “It seems that David thinks Emma deserves to be presented with all the available local options. Especially the _decent_ ones.”

Graham sighed, his hand fidgeting with his belt. “Look mate, we haven’t fought over a woman in the two decades we’ve known each other, we are not starting now,” he stated. “Especially because there is _nothing_ to fight over - the lady has clearly chosen. I was not even an option,” he finished with a sympathetic sigh.

Killian winced. “Well…”

Graham tilted his head for a second before the meaning behind the word kicked in and he shook his head in disbelief. “Maybe I was but you made a move before I had a chance.”

“I didn’t lie,” Killian defended himself. “But I might have tried to present my case better?” he finished with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

“Killian, I am not offended,” Graham pointed out, his eyes looking earnestly at him. “I just -it’s good to see you like this, mate.”

Killian backtracked, raising his hand in a halting motion. “Graham, we - we’re just having fun. This is _not_ a serious thing. I think she’s continuing this and making it so public just to piss off David,” he acknowledged.

Graham didn’t seem to buy his words for a second, but he let them slide. “Even if… it’s good to see you like this.”

Another bell sound at the door made them both turn around as Emma walked in with a forceful stride, frustration clearly evident on her face.

“Swan?” Killian asked.

“Can you believe that-” she started and then she stopped as she finally noticed the man standing by the counter, opposite of Killian. “Sorry, I didn’t know you had a customer.”

Both Killian and Graham chuckled, which seemed to make Emma even more wary. Graham took one step towards her. “Allow me to introduce myself, Deputy Swan. Sheriff Graham Humbert, at your service.” His hand went to his pocket and his badge became visible on his belt.

Emma’s eyes widened in surprise before she shifted uncomfortably. “Graham? It’s- uh - nice to meet you. I - I know we are supposed to-”

But Graham raised his hand and stopped her. “I assume Sheriff Nolan probably has passed on my request for assistance.” He waited for Emma’s confirmation and she nodded. “Wonderful! I know he mentioned a dinner at the farm tonight but I’m afraid I hadn’t realized I had a previous commitment and well, let’s just say that I don’t feel it would be appropriate, considering the circumstances.” Graham’s eyes darted to Killian and Emma followed his movement. Killian was standing there, a serious expression on his face and he seemed to be waiting for something. It only took Emma one second to realize what he was waiting for.

“No,” she quickly confirmed. “I don’t think it would be appropriate.”

Killian’s face broke into a smile and she couldn’t help but to smile at him in return.

“I’d still be happy to have your assistance tomorrow, if you feel up to it,” Graham offered.

“Sure, why not? It might not be a bad idea to take a breather from Storybrooke’s station,” Emma acknowledged.

“Super. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Killian here can give you directions on how to reach my station and I’ll be sure to let David know I cannot join you for dinner tonight,” Graham finished in a friendly tone, his eyes finding Killian’s again.

Killian had left the other side of the counter and taken a few steps closer to Emma, his hand placed at the small of her back in a reassuring manner. He quickly nodded to Graham and he gave them both a tilt of his head before heading to the exit.

Killian’s hand moved to Emma’s waist and he pulled her slightly to his side before he spoke again. “Graham…” he called and waited for Graham to turn around and face him. “She broke up with Whale a few months ago. She’s living in Cleveland. You should call her.”

Graham sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Mate…that was high school.”

“And you are still crazy for her,” Killian pointed out. “What do you have to lose?”

“My head, my heart, my sanity. Take your pick,” Graham said but Killian kept looking at him. “I’ll give it some thought,” he finally relented.

“Overthinking it was why you lost your chance before…don’t do it again.”

Graham laughed. “Bye Killian, it was nice meeting you Deputy Swan.”

Emma moved away from Killian’s side and she turned to face him, squinting her eyes. “Who were you talking about?” she inquired in an inquisitive tone.

Killian smirked, tilting his head towards the door where Graham had just left. “He’s had a crush on Ruby for ages.”

“Ruby!?” Emma uttered, raising an eyebrow at him. “The one you used to get frisky with at the barn where you and I got frisky two months ago?” There were many weirds things in that sentence, she thought. Like the fact that she was now able to keep up with town gossip history was one. The other was that she’d just realized that she and Killian had been doing whatever it was that they were doing - _fun, having fun_ \- for more than just a few weeks now. But she shoved that thought to the back of her head and turned her attention back to Killian, who was now chuckling embarrassedly and reaching to scratch behind his ear.

“Aye. When you put it that way,” he sighed. “But yeah, that same one.” Killian noticed Emma’s lips curving into a smile. “What?”

She shook her head. “Town’s matchmaker. I swear, I don’t know how people can’t see it. They are all too busy thinking you are a playboy, but I’m onto you, Mister Jones.” She poked his chest playfully.

He caught her hand and pulled her to him. “Are you, officer Swan?” he asked in a husky voice.

“Yes, I am known for my clever detective skills.” She swayed in his arms.

“I’m sure you are… do they involve an interrogation where you try to pry information from me by _all means necessary_?” The innuendo was palpable in his voice and she felt the familiar tug at the pit of her belly.

“Perhaps-” she whispered. “Just answer me one question.”

“What?” he bit his lower lip.

“Did you set Regina and Robin up too? What was your level of involvement in that one?” She tried to give her best impression of the voice she used to interrogate suspects.

Killian chuckled, tilting his head as his arms gripped her hips tighter. “I might have initially arranged for Regina to drop by to help me with some paperwork at the same time Robin was putting together a few shelves.”

Emma circled her arms around his neck. “Did you?”

“Aye. I confess, officer,” he smirked. “After that, I might have provided a few opportunities for some… _stealthy_ encounters.”

_That explained why Regina helped hide her car that first night._

She tilted her head to the side, smiling as her eyes studied his handsome features. “So- I was right, you are guilty.”

“Guilty?” He cocked an eyebrow as his tongue wet his lower lip. “And what is my penance?”

She closed the distance and captured his lips with hers, her hands on his neck pulling him closer as her mouth opened and her tongue met his stroke by stroke until they pulled away breathless, his hand softly caressing her hair.

“Feed me lunch first and then we’ll see?” she suggested, her teeth worrying her bottom lip in a seductive manner.

He fed her lunch, cold turkey leftovers with a side of buttered rice and flatbreads before he lifted her on the kitchen counter and took his time to kiss her thoroughly. His hands reached to undo the button of her jeans and lower the zipper, his fingers stroking her over the lace of her underwear. Her moans aroused him even more and he ground himself against her jean-clad thigh, his mouth pressing open mouthed kissed into the hollow of her throat.

“Bedroom,” he croaked. “I need -I need to take my time with you, Swan,” he pleaded, wrecked.

Emma nodded, unable to formulate words and he lifted her, her ankles closing behind his back as he carried them to his bedroom. He took his time removing their clothes, mapping her body with lingering kisses and heated words, the weight of his body pressing her against the mattress as he thrust deeply, dragging against her walls with each movement, his grip anchoring her waist as she came undone beneath him. He followed her after a few erratic thrusts, resting his head on her shoulder as he regained his breath.

“You’re bloody perfect, Swan,” he whispered against her skin, pressing a soft lingering kiss on her lips before pulling away from her. She smiled, mouthing a breathless _thank you_ , her hands tracing a few random patterns on his chest. They stayed like that for a few moments before she reached for her clothes and moved into the bathroom. Killian watched her go before he got himself out of bed and looked for some of his clothes.

She met him in the kitchen afterwards, he had put on some black sweatpants and a grey t-shirt and handed her a cup of hot cocoa.

“I don’t want to go back to the station,” she sighed as her hands closed on the warm mug. “I told David to manage without me but perhaps-”

“Then don’t,” he said, a small smile coming to his lips, making the creases around his eyes more visible. He grabbed her arm gently and took her to his living room, sitting on the couch and pulling her to sit next to him. “I’ll close for the afternoon. We can stay here on the couch. I have a great book collection you can choose from.” He raised an eyebrow invitingly at her, his features honest and open and she had a hard time coming up with reasons why she shouldn’t.

“How is your Netflix queue?” she asked as she took a sip of her hot cocoa. Killian chuckled and pulled her into his arms, reaching for the remote.

Late in the afternoon, she finally found the will to disentangle herself from his arms. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be helping Graham, but probably a few days at least.”

“It’s OK Swan, I promised Liam I’d help set up for the annual church barbecue this weekend. I’m sure I can keep myself occupied, although it would not be as entertaining,” he finished flirtingly.

Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m sure your brother will be thankful that you won’t be _distracted_.”

He chuckled. “Perhaps.” He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. “Can I call you tomorrow night?”

She thought about the lonely nights in her room at the farm and the idea of hearing his low voice before going to sleep. “That’d be nice,” she confirmed.


	8. VIII

_Takin' time to make time_  
_Tellin' me that he's all mine_

The next few days went by with Emma leaving early in the morning and coming back late at night, so exhausted that she could only muster the energy to have dinner, spend some time with Henry and then collapse into her bed and grab her phone to call Killian. She was so tired that they never got around to exchanging more than a few words before she was yawning and he’d just say goodnight, Emma letting his voice lure her into a peaceful slumber.

It wasn’t much of a fun week and by the time Saturday arrived, Emma was ready to leave work behind, kick back and relax. She realized the meaning behind those thoughts as she was pulling her hair into a ponytail in front of the mirror. She used to be all about just concentrating on work - and spending time with Henry - but now, she was getting ready for a church barbecue and enjoying the prospect of spending time with family and friends.

_And a hot, dark haired bookstore owner with a lilting accent and masterful hands._

Emma finished tying up her ponytail, her lips curving into a smile as she grabbed her jacket and headed out to meet Henry and the Nolans downstairs.

The entire yard outside the church had been transformed into a massive outdoor party setting. There were several rows of grills on the side, the smell of barbecued meat reaching everyone’s nostrils. Tables had been set with checkered tablecloths and all sorts of food laying on them: salads, mashed potatoes, fries, corn, bread. There even was an entire table devoted to desserts, an important variety of assorted pies on display. Emma was standing by the table, admiring the baked goods when a female voice spoke next to her.

“Mine is sitting in the fridge, it will melt if I bring it out before dessert time,” Elsa said as her fingers lingered on the table.

“Oh, the iced chocolate cake. I love that one!” Emma said eagerly, her mouthwatering at the memory of the delicacy. Elsa’s smile widened and Emma realized her slip. She blushed and quickly tried to backtrack her words. “I mean, I’ve heard great things about it-”

“It’s ok… your secret is safe with me,” Elsa said softly as she placed a reassuring hand on Emma’s arm. “If you can call it a secret at this point,” she added with a slight tilt of her head and a playful smile.

Emma’s blush deepened and she shuffled uncomfortably. “I mean. I-”

Elsa seemed to realize the effect of her words because she blushed as well, speaking hurriedly in a strained voice. “Oh no, I don’t mean to pry.  You’re both adults and -” she sighed uncomfortably and looked around for a minute before she started mumbling again. “You know, the cake is really not a big deal, it’s just a simple chocolate ganache over a pie or cookie crust. Oh crap, I sound like an obnoxious small town judgmental mom, don’t I?” she finished with nervous laugh.

“I wouldn’t go _that_ far,” Emma offered, finding a little reassurance in Elsa’s awkwardness.

Elsa tilted her head. “I really do sound like one! I am so sorry, all of this came out wrong. I swear I am not one of those. Between us, I am never completely comfortable around some of the moms in this town because of that. They spend too much time criticizing others for their shortcomings instead of helping them overcome them.” Elsa’s gaze shifted towards a group of women that were eyeing the both of them. Emma recognized some of them from either church or Granny’s and she still remembered the glances she and Killian earned weeks ago at the town film festival. Elsa interrupted Emma’s thoughts when she spoke again. “That is why we hang out with the Nolans most of the time. I can only deal with the rest on small doses before I get all cold and distant and behave like a prickly ice queen.”

Emma laughed at Elsa’s confession. “I can only imagine the gossip if that happened.”

Elsa laughed lightly and reached to grasp Emma’s arm and walk with her away from the dessert table. “If you are interested, you and Henry can come over one afternoon and I could show you how to make the cake while Henry plays with the twins. Declan and Phin won’t shut up about the great time they had fishing with him.  You can stay for dinner later,” she finished with a warm smile.

Emma was torn. On one hand, it would be nice for Henry to interact with more people in town and it seemed the Jones twins had taken a shine on him. On the other hand, enduring an entire dinner under the scrutiny of the town’s preacher - and the brother of her current _fling_ \- wasn’t necessarily high on her list for entertainment. And how would Killian react to it? Would he be ok with her spending time with his family? Was that crossing an unspoken line none of them had brought up yet?

“I - I’ll think about it,” Emma said feebly, her eyes wandering around the gathering trying to spot Killian.

“He’s by the grills.” Elsa smiled knowingly. “He and Liam always command the grills. I’ll see you later.”

Emma watched Elsa walking towards a few people gathered with a warm and inviting smile on her face; before her face turned towards the row of grills and her eyes searched for Killian. She found him almost instantly, standing next to Liam, each of them mastering a grill while engaging in an actual tong-fight against each other. Emma couldn’t help the grin coming to her face as she watched Killian goofing around with his brother, the metallic sounds of the tongs clashing against each other and a few barbs being exchanged between the two.

“I thought you were supposed to turn the other cheek?” Emma joked as she approached them.

Both Killian and Liam turned around, the tips of their ears turning pink as they hid the tongs behind their backs.

“You caught us, deputy Swan,” Liam jested first, rolling his tongue inside his mouth as he turned around to watch his grill.

Killian’s eyes had widened, a smile coming to his face as he leaned towards her. “You made it, Swan,” his voice was low, sending shivers down her spine. He was now standing very close and she could smell his cologne mixed with a soft hint of smoke. Emma’s eyes met his, the golden specks of his blue eyes sparkling in the direct sunlight. A timid smile reached her lips as she studied his features, realizing only then how much she’d missed him.

He bit his lower lip, his eyes darting to her lips before looking around them. Suddenly remembering they were in a very public space, she swayed backwards slightly and he took one step away from her and busied himself with flipping the burgers on the grill.

“It’s good to see you,” she whispered softly, not wanting to leave that unsaid.

The corner of his mouth lifted up in the hint of a smile before he replied, “It’s good to see you too, love.”

“I should probably be ordering some food, right? If only I could find Henry-”

“He’s over there playing ball with Declan and Phin.” Killian pointed out in the direction of the backyard and Emma was able to see a brown haired head sticking out between the two blonde ones. “But he’d already placed the order himself… so I’ll get that to you as soon as it’s ready.” There was a hint of a question in his voice, a subtle request for her company, almost unnoticeable to the untrained ear, but Emma knew what has hidden beneath the words he’d spoken.

“That will be great, thank you.” Her hand settled on his forearm and he tore away his eyes from the grill to find hers. “I’ll be waiting over there for you to join me,” she indicated.

“Aye,” he nodded and she could again sense that there was more he wanted to do - like soft touch of his lips against her cheek - but yet he was holding back.

Emma had been sitting for a few minutes at the far end of one of the tables, lost in her thoughts as she contemplated the different families sharing time together, when Henry barged in and interrupted her musings. He was carrying a plate with a burger, a couple of hot dogs and a massive helping of fries.

“Whoa, kid, that is a lot of food,” Emma said amused, watching Henry sit down and take a bite of his burger. “Is the hot dog for me?” she asked, her hand reaching to grab it. Henry swatted her hand away with a toothy grin as he swallowed his food.

“Your food is on its way,” Henry replied but before he could say something else, a gale of blonde hair and cheerful voices in the form of Declan and Phin interrupted them. They joined Henry’s bench, sitting at each side of the brown haired boy, sporting plates filled with food of their own.

“Children, manners,” Elsa called as she approached the table as well, giving Emma a comforting smile before she took a seat next to one of her children and extended her hand to grab a plate that Liam brought for her. “Thank you, darling,” she said with a soft beam.

“You’re welcome,” Liam replied, pressing a kiss on her lips before sitting down and attending to his own plate.

Emma’s eyes darted to the entire table now focused on their food and easy conversation, her heartwarming at the familiarity that was now surrounding her. Those feelings only increased when she felt someone sit next to her.

“Your food, milady,” Killian said as he sat astride the bench, facing her side, and placed a plate in front of her. Emma’s heart fluttered in her chest at the sight of a grilled cheese sandwich and a side of onion rings.

“You did this?” she asked, her eyes meeting his and watching as he blushed a little.

“I made the grilled cheese and I might have called in a favor to Granny for the onion rings,” Killian admitted in a small voice.

Emma was speechless, trying to wrap her head around this gesture, and the fact that the rest of the table - _her_ kid and _his_ family- hadn't reacted to the exchange happening between them. It felt as if it were normal, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary about her getting a special treat delivered to her in the middle of the church’s annual barbeque by the sinful brother of the local preacher.

Killian cleared his throat, his hand twitching next to hers over the table. “Is this ok?” he asked hesitantly, concern lacing his voice.

_No, this is way too much,_ was her initial thought, her heart racing in her chest, her hands sweaty as she fidgeted next to him. But when she lifted her head and met his blue eyes, filled with nothing but concern and sincerity, when she wrapped herself in the easiness that surrounded her, she found that she couldn’t bring herself to care as much as she’d thought in the first place.

Emma leaned into him, her fingers brushing his forearm briefly with only a hint of a touch. His breath caught in his throat. She rested her forehead against his for a fleeting second, whispering, “Yes, it is,” before she pulled away and reached for an onion ring.

She felt more than saw his smile, as he moved his leg to sit properly on the bench and he scooted closer to her, grabbing a fry from his plate before he focused on what his nephews and Henry were saying about the upcoming soccer game.

/-/

Unfortunately for Killian, his lunch break was too short for his taste and soon he had to leave Swan’s side and head back to manage the grills with Liam. While spending time with his brother was never a bad thing, and he and Liam had been doing this together for almost a decade, he couldn’t keep his eyes going astray from the task at hand. His glance would drift towards where Emma was spending time with Henry and the Nolans, a smile coming to his face at the way the sunlight cast a glow on her golden hair.

Liam must have realized how distracted he was, because at some point, he directed Killian to go into his office and secure the earnings and donations of the day into his safe deposit box. Killian reluctantly obliged, his eyes darting to Emma one last time before he sighed and headed to his brother’s office.

He was just finishing locking the safe, his back to the office entrance, when he heard the creaking sound of the door opening and closing and the soft click of the lock. Turning around confused, he was met with the sight of Emma closing the distance between them to crush his lips in a fierce kiss. The sudden movement took him by surprise, making him stumble backwards until his butt hit the edge of the desk. But soon the pull of her lips against his made him remember how great she felt and his body took over as his hands grabbed her hips and pressed her against him. He sat on the edge of the desk, his legs on both sides of Emma to bring her even closer to him.

It was a few minutes of bruising kisses and wandering hands before he pulled away, biting his swollen bottom lip. “Hello, love. Fancy meeting you here in this _situation._ ” He cocked an eyebrow at her, his voice laced with innuendo.

She chuckled, her hands moving up and down his arms. “Right, we shouldn’t be doing this in here probably.”

“Trust me, Swan, this office has seen _plenty_ of action. My brother is a preacher, not a saint.” He nuzzled his nose with hers, softly speaking against her lips. “But one issue remains...the entire town is out there and anyone could walk by at any minute.”

“I just wanted to thank you for the onion rings,” Emma whispered, her hand playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“You should thank Granny.”

“I’m not sure she’d appreciate this.” She closed the distance to give him another kiss.

“Certainly not as much as I do,” he admitted as he pulled back. “I’ll go out first, you can follow me later,” he proposed before his eyes connected with hers and he felt the overwhelming need to kiss her again. He brought her back to him, fiercely claiming her lips as his hands found a home on her ass, pressing her against his front as he ground his hips into hers.

He was breathless, dazzled and beyond aroused when they finally broke their embrace. “Perhaps you should go first and I should take a minute or two in here to examine my thoughts,” he amended, wincing slightly at the tightness in his jeans.

Her eyes darted to his predicament and she gave him a mischievous smile. “Your _impure_ thoughts?” she asked as her fingers grazed the zipper of his jeans. His cock twitched as his hips jerked forward. “Bloody hell, Swan,” he groaned.

“See you outside,” she whispered against his lips, stealing a final kiss before leaving him to take a few deep cooling breaths and will his body back to a proper stance.

/-/

It took more than a few minutes for Killian to collect himself - taking the opportunity to browse his brother’s shelves and rearranging some of his books - before he headed back outside. The gathering was winding down, a few people here and there taking their leave, his brother and Elsa saying goodbye to them. Killian noticed Emma and Henry standing by one of the tables. He didn’t think too much about it and just acted on his impulses as he made his way towards them.

“Swan,” he called when he was closer to them and Emma turned around and smiled. “I can give you guys a ride?” He tilted his head, a hopeful smile coming to his face. “Perhaps we can stop for a milkshake and some apple pie?”

Emma’s smile widened before she turned to face Henry, who was also beaming. “What do you say, kid? Do you want to hang out with Killian for a while?”

Henry nodded enthusiastically and darted towards Killian’s car. Emma watched him go by before she pointed towards the other side. “I’m going to let David and Mary Margaret know. I’ll meet you by the car?”

“I can wait here if you want,” Killian said and Emma gave him a brief smile before she left to talk to her friends. Killian took the time to signal Henry that his car was unlocked and Henry opened the door and quickly climbed into the backseat. By the time his eyes moved back to Emma, she was coming back his way and he could see her eyes darting back and forth between him and their surroundings. He quickly scanned the field and he could also witness a few stares coming their way. Sensing her apprehension, he waited patiently for her and when she was by his side, Killian reached to wrap his arms around her shoulder and pulling her to him.

“Don’t overthink this, Emma,” he whispered reassuringly in her ear.

Her green eyes looked back at him with a resolved expression. “I’m not.”

/-/

The drive to _Sherwood_ was filled with Henry’s continuous questions regarding soccer, as he was growing more and more excited about his upcoming debut game in the league. Killian replied to all his questions thoroughly and enthusiastically, bringing a smile to Emma’s lips.

Regina cocked a suggestive eyebrow the moment she saw them enter her establishment, but whatever retort she had ready at the tip of her tongue, it was cut off when Robin moved to greet them and introduced Henry to his son, Roland. Killian chuckled as Regina looked dumbfounded for a second before she quickly recovered and pointed them to a booth nearby. There were a few patrons here and there, but the little place almost resembled a peaceful gathering of old friends. Roland and Henry moved to play videogames after retrieving slices of apple pie and milkshakes and Emma snuggled closer to Killian. Killian’s arm circled her shoulders and brought her to him, closing his eyes and relishing in her warmth and the soft citrus scent of her perfume.

The clicking sound of heels against the floor brought him out of his daze before a voice spoke in a teasing tone.

“Now, would you look at _that_?”

Emma tilted her head to see a tall brunette with legs a mile high and luscious red lips smiling at Killian. Her eyes turned to look at Killian, who chuckled humorously bringing Emma closer to him.

“You’re the last person I expected to see here today,” he commented in a disbelieving tone.

The brunette tilted her head, her hands going to her hips. “Well, it’s not like Granny’s was open for business this afternoon with the whole church barbeque your brother _loves_ to pull together.”

“Hey,” Regina greeted on her way towards the kitchen. “Your order will be right up.”

The woman must have noticed Emma’s curious stare because she gestured towards her as she spoke to Killian.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Killian shook his head as he realized he hadn’t made the appropriate introductions. “Emma, this is Ruby Lucas, Granny’s granddaughter,” he offered with a reassuring smile. “Ruby, this is Emma Swan, Storybrooke’s new deputy.”

Ruby’s smile widened into a wolfish grin that made Emma wary of what was about to come out of her mouth. “Right, I heard a few things about _this_ ,” Ruby teased, her tone laced with innuendo.

“It’s not-, this is not-” Killian started to explain but Ruby cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“Spare me. _If_ the snuggling wasn’t a hint, that _massive_ slice of pie is a dead giveaway.”

Killian looked at her, confused etched in his features. “The _pie_?”

Ruby rolled her eyes and scoffed, throwing her hands up in the air in mock frustration. “Killian, please. We know that you have a sweet tooth… _and_ that it increases when you’re involved in certain _enjoyable activities_.” She cocked an eyebrow mischievously at him. “How do you think Granny could tell that you got lucky with me at the barn?”

Killian’s mouth was open in astonishment and Emma couldn’t help the small laugh that came to her lips. His eyes met hers for a fleeting moment and she could see the embarrassment in the way the tips of his ears had turned a nice shade of pink.

“Not just Granny, we _all_ know,” Regina said as she motioned Ruby to join her at the counter.

Emma gave Killian a surprised look once Ruby was out of earshot. “ _That’s_ Ruby? That’s who you’re trying to set up Graham with?” she asked astounded, her eyebrows raising. “She’s going to eat him alive!”

Killian smirked. “You think, Swan?” He waggled his eyebrows, his eyes glinting with mischief before he spoke. “Ruby!” he called towards the counter, his eyes never leaving Emma’s. “Did he call you?”

Killian’s eyes darted towards Ruby then and Emma followed his stare. Ruby was standing by the counter, her previous smirk shifting into a shy smile. “He did,” she confirmed, her fingers fidgeting with her hair. “I was wondering who had told him about me and Victor breaking up.”

Killian’s stare darted briefly to Emma, a smug smile on his face before he cocked an eyebrow at Ruby. “Well?” he trailed off, his unspoken question hanging in the air.

“I don’t know Killian,” Ruby sighed hesitantly, trying to avoid continuing with the subject.

Luckily for her, Robin showed up carrying two brown bags. “Your order, Milady: cold turkey sandwich with extra mayonnaise; chicken, cheese and tomato on whole grain bread and two slices of apple pie.”

Ruby blushed, reaching quickly to grab the bag and attempting to make an escape, but Killian’s mind worked faster than she did.

“Wait a minute!” he said as he removed his arm from Emma’s shoulder and half stood in the booth. “I recognize that order. _That_ is why you didn’t want to go to Granny’s,” he said smugly.

Ruby ducked her head bashfully and Killian turned to look at Emma triumphantly, but quickly changed his features into a knowing smile when he realized Emma wasn’t following them.

“Swan… I’m disappointed at those detective skills you were bragging about the other day,” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Are you sure you haven’t heard _part_ of this order before?” he cocked an eyebrow at her.

Realization finally dawned on Emma. “Graham!”

“Ding-ding-ding,” Killian’s sing-along voice filled up the space. “It seems Ruby here is taking our dear sheriff something to _taste,”_ he didn’t even bothered to hide the blatant innuendo from his voice.

“Well, he has been working long hours you know… he needs a _distraction,”_ Ruby retorted, not easily intimidated by Killian’s words.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that, considering the decade he’s spent moping about you,” Regina interjected in an annoyed voice.

“Regina!” Robin interjected but Regina lifted her hand to stop him.

“You weren’t here to hear him over and over during those years… _we_ were.” She pointed between Killian and herself before turning to Ruby. “You do know you can do a lot worse than Graham… you already have.”

Ruby chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I’ll take that as my cue before she berates me even more.”

Killian grabbed Emma’s hand. “We should probably head back as well… I can bet David is waiting by the door to see when I bring Emma and Henry back.” He smirked at Ruby. “Have fun at the station, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Right back at you,” Ruby tilted her head knowingly before leaving the diner.

Killian gave Emma a mischievous stare. “Promise me you’ll tease Graham mercilessly tomorrow.”

Emma scoffed slightly at him before standing up and going to find Henry.

/-/

The drive back was mostly silent, the fatigue of the day’s activities finally sinking into Henry. He was half asleep by the time they reached the farm, but he managed to wave goodbye to Killian as the got out of the car.

“Thank you, Killian, I had a nice time. And thank you for the tips on soccer!” he said.

“You’ll be great lad…I know it,” Killian offered encouragingly.

“You go inside, Henry, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Emma tilted her head towards the house as she leaned on the passenger side of the car.

The moment the door closed behind Henry, Killian pulled Emma into his arms, his lips covering hers in a kiss. “I’ve been dying to kiss you all afternoon,” he whispered as he broke the kiss to breathe, only to dive back in for another one.

“We could - you know - in the barn,” Emma said breathlessly between kisses but Killian shook his head.

“David is probably counting the minutes until you get inside the house. I’d rather not cause him any more heartburn.” He pressed a soft kiss to the edge of her jaw, the roughness of his scruff making her gasp.

“Your loss, Jones.”

“Certainly, Swan.” His fingers reached underneath the hem of her shirt and caressed her skin. “And it’s bloody unfortunate that you still have work to do with Graham this week.”

She swayed closer into his touch. “I know… but I’ll try to stop by one day, ok?”

“I’ll be waiting,” he whispered against the shell of her ear.

“Goodnight, Killian.”

He gave her a final, searing kiss. “Goodnight, Swan.”

/-/

Fortune didn’t seem to favor him again that week and by the third day of Emma occupied working with Graham, Killian had had enough of the town’s stares as he sat alone to each lunch at Granny’s.

“Can you pack this one to go?” he asked Granny on Wednesday. She gave him a knowing smile as she reached for the plate with this burger.

“Why don’t I change this burger for two cold sandwiches and slices of pie instead?” she offered, looking at him from underneath her glasses and cocking an eyebrow at him.

Killian thought for a second to refuse, but he knew it was a lost battle the moment she’d planted the idea in his head. “Aye, that’d be great. Perhaps you should add Graham’s order to it. My treat.”

“I’ll do just that. And you tell that boy that I don’t care if he’s a respectable sheriff, I still can and _will_ pull his ears if needed.”

Killian chuckled. “I think he knows, Granny.”

That Wednesday lunch was the last time he saw Emma for the remainder of that week, which was why he was standing at the entrance of the local park’s soccer field on Saturday’s early afternoon, his eyes scanning the place.

Graham was the first person he saw, standing tall wearing sportswear and reviewing a form on a clipboard.

“All set for the game, mate?” Killian asked in greeting, his hand moving to shake Graham’s.

“I think so. First game of the season, everyone is a little more riled up than usual. Especially the parents,” Graham pointed out. He’d been coaching the neighbor’s town for a few years now, even before he’d moved there to become sheriff.

“Aye, Liam had to deal with a couple of overenthusiastic mothers this week. I heard it wasn’t pretty.” Killian’s eyes scanned the benches and soon he spotted a familiar brunette. He cocked a smile at Graham. “I see things have progressed successfully with Ruby.”

Graham’s eyes darted to Ruby, a smitten smile coming to his face when the brunette waved at him. He raised his hand briefly and bit his lower lip.

“You’ve done well,” Killian added, tilting his head as a gesture to greet Ruby, who blew a kiss at him.

“You think it’s too soon to put a ring on her finger?” Graham asked.

Killian almost choked, reaching to slap the back of Graham’s head. “How come you are this attractive and yet you are so terrible with women?”

“Not all of us were born with your natural charm, Jones.”

“Wait at least a month, will you?” Killian shook his head appalled as he headed towards the benches where he’d spotted Elsa.

“I can’t make any promises!” Graham yelled before turning around and focusing on the kids.

On his way towards where Elsa was sitting, Killian spotted Emma arriving with Henry and David from the other side of the field. They exchanged glances, a smile coming to her lips as she headed to one of nearby benches. He’d smiled with a slight tilt of his head before taking a seat next to Elsa. His sister-in-law hadn’t taken her eyes off of him from the moment he walked towards her and she kept on watching him with a knowing smile. Killian tried not to waver underneath her stare, but Elsa could be pretty commanding when she wanted to. Finally, he relented, a sigh coming to his lips as he defended himself.

“I came to watch my nephews play.”

Elsa cocked an eyebrow at him before she pursed her lips slightly, with an unbelieving stare.

“Come on, I do come to see Declan and Phin play sometimes!” Killian exclaimed, affronted.

“Sometimes, you do… but that is not why you are here today.” Elsa smiled, cocking her head towards where Emma was sitting by herself. “So why don’t you go sit where you want to sit?”

“I -” Killian started but Elsa cut him off by raising one finger.

“She’s been stealing glances this way, Killian. _Go sit with her!_ ” The last of her sentence was accompanied by a not-so-gentle shove of her hand into his elbow and Killian decided to stop fidgeting around and finally do exactly what he wanted to do. He adjusted his sunglasses and straightened his blue Henley, stood up and walked towards where Emma was sitting.

“Is this seat taken, Miss Swan?” he asked with only a hint of smugness in his voice.

Her smile widened and reached her green eyes as she placed her hand over her forehead to shield them from the sunlight. “It is now,” she replied softly.

The corners of his mouth curved upwards as he reached for the back pocket of his loose jeans and pulled out a battered cap. “I’d despair to see your eyes hurt by the bright light.”

She took the cap and put it on, adjusting the rim to protect her eyes. “Thank you, Killian.”

“You’re welcome, Emma.” He sat next to her, his thigh brushing hers slightly before he fully shifted to face the field of play.

“Henry seems really excited,” Killian pointed out, waving at Henry on the field.

“He is. He hasn’t shut up about the game for weeks now.”

“I’m sure he’ll do fine, love. Liam is a great coach and David is quite fair in his judgements as referee, at least when it comes to kids.”

Emma smiled, her fingers brushing his in a stealthy touch that spread warmth all over him, his body reminding him of how much he’d missed her contact in a way that made his pants a little tighter around certain areas. He reigned his senses in, making a thorough effort to calm the way his body was reacting to even the slightest touch from her. From the corner of his eye, he witnessed her smile shifting from carefree to mischievous, and he shook his head slightly before focusing his attention back on the game that had just started. 

The game carried on uneventfully, the kids on each team still getting used to playing with one another, being the first game of the season. Killian kept his eyes focused on the game, paying attention to the development and making mental notes of things he’d point out to Henry afterwards, should the lad seek his advice as he’d done the past few times they’d interacted. Occasionally, he’d steal a glance at Emma, marveling at how the lines of her face were cast in the early afternoon light, her teeth worrying her bottom lip when Henry had the ball.

It was in one of those instances where he tore his eyes away from her that he saw one of the kids on the opposing team sliding a tackle into Henry with a force that clearly meant harm. Henry fell into the grass and David called the foul, a yellow card raised above his head. Killian could see Graham refraining from actually yelling at the kid, while firmly reprimanding him for his unsportsmanlike behavior. Liam was bent over Henry, checking on the lad while Phin and Declan floundered over them. Killian’s eyes darted to Emma. She was sitting there, facing the field with a worried expression on her face. He opened his mouth to offer some comfort but his words were cut off by someone scoffing a few rows below them.

“Oh for crying out loud… that card was uncalled for! If the kid can’t take a hit, get him off the field!!”

Killian’s smile faded when he recognized the voice and a quick glance at the man sitting below them confirmed his suspicions. _Bloody Keith_. He turned his eyes to Emma again and he noticed her knuckles going white as she gripped the bench. His hand covered hers in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

But Keith didn’t stop there. “Seriously, if we’re going to start playing favoritism to the new deputy’s kid just because some people want to get into her pants...”

Killian clenched his jaw. “That’s enough, mate,” he called. Before he knew it, he was on his feet and looking threateningly down to the man who’d turned around and was giving him a downcast stare.

“Oh well, if it isn’t Killian Jones,” Keith spat in a condescending tone and Killian’s hand balled into a fist as he tilted his head sideways. He climbed down towards where Keith was, a menacing tone lacing his voice.

“Apologize to the lady, Keith.”

Keith had stood up and was facing Killian with a threatening look of his own.

“Please!  You’re still pulling the chivalrous type to get into a woman’s bed? That move got old a decade ago, Jones.”

Killian chuckled, his tongue making a _tsk_ sound against his cheek. “And you are still bitter because your date to the prom chose to leave with me. Newsflash, mate, if you hadn’t been such a bloody dick to her in the first place, maybe she wouldn’t have.”

Keith shoved him forcefully but Killian stood his ground, his hand fisting over the man’s shirt and his other fist ready to punch him. He felt a hand restraining him in that moment and he turned around to see David’s clear eyes looking at him. Liam was right next to him, taking ahold of Keith.

“It seems your brother and friends have come to save you, Jones.” Keith jeered.

Killian tried to free himself from David’s grasp, but the man tighten his hold on him. “Walk away Killian, this is not the place,” David stated but Killian was still not willing to let the fight go. “Go back to Emma.” David’s last words were what finally pulled Killian out of his rage daze and he lifted his head to see Emma watching him carefully, her expression indecipherable from such a distance.

Taking a step back, he straightened himself the moment David released his hold on him. He gave Keith one final look before he climbed the steps and quietly sat next to Emma. The game quickly resumed and Killian ducked his head bashfully, hiding his embarrassment at his outburst and letting the silence stretch between them as the kids played on the field.

Her voice was soft, her words barely a whisper to be heard only by him when she spoke. “Thank you for defending my kid.”

“My pleasure,” he replied, his eyes still focused on the field.

“Stay away from the soccer dads.”

He chuckled. “Absolutely.”

“And fuck my brains out later.”

Killian’s smile froze and was quickly replaced with a shocked expression. He turned to face her, but Emma was still looking at the game, her eyes following the ball, nothing in her face giving the slightest hint of what she’d just said. He thought it was probably a figment of his imagination, that he was clearly hearing things, when her lips curved slightly upwards. “You heard me.”

His own lips curved into a full grin and his eyes focused on the game again. “Gladly,” he whispered.

He felt her hand cover his where it rested on the bench and he rotated his palm to interlace their fingers, keeping his hold on her until the end of the game. He let go of her hand when they stood up and moved to congratulate Henry and the twins after the end of the game. The twins begged excitedly for Henry to have a sleepover at their house and Liam and Elsa ensured Emma that they’d be pleased to have Henry over. Henry looked at Emma pleadingly and she finally relented, not before instructing him to behave properly and do what he was told.

“I’ll drive to the farm and pick up some clothes for him,” Emma said but Elsa waved her hand in a reassuring manner.

“I have plenty of clothes from Declan and Phin that will fit Henry, you don’t need to worry.”

“Oh, ok. Well, see you tomorrow kid?”

“Bye mom!” Henry gave her a quick hug before he and the twins started running towards the car, Liam and Elsa quickly following behind them.

Killian stood there, balancing on his feet as he waited for Emma to look at him.

“I walked here… do you think you can give me a ride Swan?” he asked, his tongue licking his lower lip with a slight raise of his eyebrow.

Her green eyes darkened for a second before her reply graced her lips. “ _Gladly._ ”

/-/

There was something different in the air and Emma could feel it. Killian’s request for a _ride_ had left nothing to be misinterpreted, his intent had been quite clear and so had been her acceptance. But he’d been silent on their drive towards his place. It was as if a gloomy cloud was hanging over him and Emma could pinpoint exactly the moment it had started.

He was busying himself with shrugging out of his leather jacket when she dared to ask the question that had been on her mind since the altercation at the game.

“Did you really steal his date to the prom?”

He stilled his movements for a second, his jaw clenching. When he spoke, there was controlled anger in his voice. “I didn’t _steal_ anything. Milah _chose_ to leave with me that night.”

Her heart skipped a beat. _Milah_. She recognized that name from the tattoo that garnished his forearm, the name engraved on his skin in the middle of a heart and a dagger. She hadn’t asked before and he hadn’t told, but Emma could draw her own conclusions based on the ink and the gold band that he wore on his necklace.

He seemed to read on her features the conclusions she was reaching and smiled sadly, the anger leaving him with a heavy sigh. “We spent the rest of that night drinking smuggled beer and talking about our hopes and dreams for the future.” He fiddled with his fingers, as if lost in his own memories. “We were together ever since. I married her right out of college. We had a nice little house where we were going to raise our kids.” He stopped, averting his eyes from hers and Emma braced herself for the pain she knew was coming. Killian’s voice lowered into nothing but a broken, disheartening whisper. “And then she died in my arms in that same house from an aneurism when were twenty-five.”

Emma lifted her hand hesitantly and reached to softly squeeze his forearm. “Killian, I am so sorry,” she whispered.

His eyes met hers and she could see the unshed tears, the hopeless desperation, the absolute sadness that he kept hidden underneath all the layers of easy smirks, meaningless flings and sinful innuendos. His voice was trembling when he spoke again. “After that, I sold the house and moved to this flat above the bookstore. I never looked back these past few years, I never thought about a perfect little family and a fairytale happy ending again. My chance for that life was gone.”

The sadness was pouring out of him and all Emma could think of was finding a way to bring comfort to him. Her hand trailed up his arm, her fingers grazing his skin, moving up his shoulder and finally touching his cheek. He leaned into her touch, a myriad of emotions passing through his eyes before she closed the distance between them and kissed him softly. He kissed her back, pulling her closer to him and tightening his hold on her, a heavy sigh escaping his throat as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. She met his strokes languidly, her hands trailing back and forth on his arms, her hips angling to grind against the front of his pants.

He broke the kiss for a fleeting moment to regain his breath, before diving back in as he deftly guided her into his bedroom, his lips never leaving hers, his hands exploring her body eagerly.  They stumbled onto the bed, their clothes half discarded in a haze of frantic kisses and feverish touches. Emma reached to remove the last piece of his clothing as she pulled down his black boxer briefs and she wasted no time in closing her mouth on him. Killian groaned and his hips jerked slightly upwards. Emma smiled mischievously as she gathered her hair in one of her hands and grabbed his shaft in the other.  She continued licking and sucking him, the sound of his moans arousing her to the point that she was moaning herself, her body whimpering.

“I - I thought I was supposed to fuck _your_ brains out,” Killian said breathlessly. Emma released his cock from her mouth with a popping sound before she hovered over him.

“By all means, then,” she whispered.

He gave her a feral grin, before quickly switching them so she was lying on the bed and he was on top of her, his entire body rubbing against hers as he reached to grab a condom from his bedside table. But Emma’s hand stilled his, her eyes looking earnestly at him. “I - I got tested and I’m on birth control,” she spoke softly, her hesitant words barely an audible whisper. Killian’s eyes bore into hers, his expression softening as he interlaced their fingers.

“Are you sure, Swan?”

She nodded, biting her lower lip. Killian scanned her face again, before leaning in and softly pressing his lips against hers, moving their intertwined hands and laying them above her head on the pillow. His body kept rubbing against hers as they kissed over and over, his free hand reaching to position himself and taking hold of her hip before he slowly slid into her. He gasped, breaking the kiss and resting his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, his length stilled inside of her.

“You have to give me a moment here, love. Otherwise this will be over before it began,” he admitted in a wrecked voice, his breath mingling with hers.

He began to move slowly -very slowly- each roll of his hips dragging himself against her walls, her pleasure building slowly but steadily, making her moan louder as his hips picked up the pace and he was slamming into her. His hand moved to rub circles on her until she cried out her release, her body throbbing as he gave a few erratic thrusts and found his own release with a loud groan, collapsing into her, his head resting on her shoulder.

She ran her fingers up and down his spine, her nails scratching softly and he moaned, still moving inside of her.

“Bloody hell, Swan,” his lips whispered against the skin of her collarbone and she hummed blissfully. Killian pulled away and laid on his back next to her, his arm reaching to pull her closer to him.

“Give me a minute and I’ll be right back,” Emma said as she reached for her discarded underwear and moved to the bathroom to clean herself.

She darted a look in the mirror after she was done, taking note of her swollen lips, a few love bites gracing the skin between her breasts and her tangled hair. She ran her hand through it, before giving up all pretenses and exiting the bathroom. Killian was waiting for her by the door, and he pressed the length of his body against hers and cornered her into the wall, his lips assaulting her neck.

“I need a minute in there, but I’ll be right back,” he said.

Emma froze on the spot when she saw the voicemail alert and the number that had left it. She almost dropped the phone as she reached to unlock it and heard the message.

/-/

Killian took a little longer in the bathroom, cleaning after himself with a sated smile and putting on his boxer briefs again. He looked at the shirt he was holding in his hand and contemplated what to do. It was still early in the afternoon and he wasn’t near being done with Emma Swan yet. She didn’t have to be home at any decent hour… bloody hell, maybe she didn’t have to be home at all tonight.

Entertaining those thoughts, he forego the shirt and reached for the doorknob. He was confident he could lure Emma back into bed easily, and spend a few hours worshipping her entire body over and over again. After that, perhaps they could get some takeout food and watch a movie together, then spend the night involved in more enjoyable activities. The image of making breakfast for her entered his mind and his thoughts quickly travelled to them showing up to church together the next morning.

But all his thoughts were quickly shoved from his mind as he found Emma standing by his bed, completely dressed and looking at the phone in her hand.

“Emma?” he asked confused, and he could sense the distress in her face when she looked up at him. He worried instantly, fearing something might have happened to her lad. “Emma, is everything ok? Is it Henry?”

She quickly shook her head as she reached for her purse. “It - It was Neal.”

Killian’s heart sank. Emma looked briefly at him before averting her eyes. “He left me a message. He’s sorry. He wants another chance. For Henry. To give him the family he and I didn’t have. The family he deserves. To make our son happy…” she trailed off.

“Swan,” Killian whispered, feeling her pulling away from him both physically and emotionally.

Her eyes met his, a few tears gathering in them. “Killian, I... I have to go.”

“Emma, wait! Please!” he pleaded, reaching for her arm but stopping at the last minute when he saw her pulling away from his touch. “Stay,” he begged.

“I can’t,” she murmured breathlessly before leaving his room, leaving him there alone in nothing but his boxer briefs and at loss for words.

The sound of his front door closing felt as if someone had crushed his heart.


	9. IX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter. Only one epilogue remains... thank you all for taking the time to read and comment on this story. I appreciate it!

_Learnin' from each other's knowin'  
Lookin' to see how much we've grown _

Killian fidgeted in his seat at church the next morning, his eyes darting towards the front door constantly. His hands were shaking and his hair was slightly disheveled after the hell of a night he had since Emma had walked out of his room the prior afternoon. His eyes closed as he relived the phone calls she didn't take, the messages she didn't reply to, his endless pacing back and forth in his apartment, showing up at _Sherwood_ almost at closing time in such a state that Regina had said absolutely nothing as she reached for the rum bottle sitting on the top shelf.

He’d stood under the hot water of his shower in the morning, letting it wash over his skin until it was raw before he made his way to church, hoping against all hope that she’d be there.

Emma hadn’t arrived yet so he took a seat on the pew they’d shared for the past few Sundays and waited for her, his eyes averted to the floor as he tried to plea with a god he wasn’t sure was listening anymore. He hadn’t even been sure it had been listening in the first place, but Liam’s unwavering faith had always dragged Killian along and now he found himself trying to hold onto a little hope.

That flickering light of hope came crashing down on him when he heard steps down the corridor and lifted his head to meet Emma’s eyes. She seemed to falter for a moment before she quickly ushered Henry towards an opposite bench, the silent action speaking quite clearly not just for him, but for everyone in the room. She might’ve as well announced it in the local paper, it would have had the same effect.

The whispered rumors started almost immediately, constant murmuring almost driving him mad as he felt he was suffocating in his own skin. It was only when the sound of a throat clearing came from the pulpit that the church fell into silence and Liam’s voice came through loud and clear.

Killian couldn’t focus on the words his brother was speaking, his mind drifting away, his hands fidgeting, waiting for the minutes to tick by, for the service to end so he could approach Emma and just _talk_ to her.

He was up on his feet quickly the moment they were dismissed, his eyes looking frantically for her. But Emma had already made a hasty exit towards the door with Henry in tow.

He took a few steps towards her. “ _Emma_!” he called for her, trying to keep an even tone to his voice and realizing that he was failing miserably.

She turned for a brief moment, her eyes meeting his and he could read her own sleepless night in the red rimmed pupils and the shadows underneath.

“Please don’t,” she said in a broken voice. “Not now, Killian.” She was facing back to the door even before the last of her words had been spoken, reaching for the steps.

“Swan!” he pleaded desperately, determined to reach her.

But his movements were stopped as a hand reached his shoulder and pulled him backwards.

“Let her go, Killian,” Liam said in a hushed tone.

Killian fought back trying to remove himself from his brother’s grasp. “Liam, let me go, I have to-”

“Not here, little brother,” his brother attested as he pulled him backwards, making Killian stumble on his feet as Liam dragged him to his office.

“What in the blazes do you think you are doing, Liam? I have to go after her!” Killian yelled after his brother had locked him in.

“Not until you tell me what is going on that has put the both of you in this state! You have no idea how stressed she was when she picked up Henry from the house this morning!” Liam stated, crossing his arms and giving his brother a defiant stare.

Killian sighed, slumping into a chair defeated and running his hand through his hair. “Her ex called. Henry’s father. He wants her - _them_ \- back,” he admitted deflated, all the rage escaping his bones and leaving only sadness and exhaustion behind.

Liam whistled, his eyebrows raising in surprise. He tilted his head and seemed to ponder the situation, something in his face forming goosebumps on Killian’s skin.

“Liam, you can’t possibly think that she-” he started but he couldn’t even utter the words out, disbelief running through him.

“I don’t know, Killian. They have the chance to start again, be a family,” Liam said.

“He _left_ when she was pregnant. He _cheated_ on her. That is the type of man you think deserves a second chance?”

“We all deserve second chances, Killian. If he’s truly sorry and if he’s willing to change-”

“What about Emma? Henry? What about what she  - _they_ \- deserve? Don’t they deserve better than a man that is willing to be unfaithful to them and leave them as soon as it gets tough?”

“Killian, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t as simple as that…”

“You don’t know half of it, brother!” Killian stood up and paced back and forth, his emotions reaching a boiling point. “I have to talk to her, Liam.”

“And tell her what exactly, Killian?” Liam challenged. “That she can’t consider going back to the father of her son because you’re having fun with her in your bed?”

The harsh words felt like a bucket of ice water and Killian looked at Liam in shock.

Liam sighed, “Killian, she’s a mother, she has to think of Henry. There are _repercussions_ to all of this, you can’t act rashly-”

“You married Elsa two weeks after you met her, you guys practically eloped. Milah and I never even made it to the ceremony!” Killian retorted forcefully, his eyes blasting into his brother’s.

“It’s different…” Liam pointed out.

Killian chuckled. “Why? Because you are Liam Jones, perfect preacher and outstanding pillar of this community?”

Liam’s jaw clenched as he took one step closer to Killian. “ _No_. Because I _loved_ Elsa from the moment I met her, and I knew in my heart I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. There are plenty of other woman you can sleep around with, you don’t need to mess with Emma’s life, or her kid or the chances she has to build a family. We are talking about you possibly destroying a woman’s chance at a family over a fling, over lust… and that is not ok Killian!”

“This is not a fling, Liam!” Killian yelled with such force that Liam had to take a step back. “I don’t want to sleep with another woman, I haven’t slept with another woman. Bloody hell, I haven’t even _looked_ at another woman since I met her! This is not lust, brother, I care about her, about Henry. I care about them both and I don't want to lose them.” His face crumbled as he sighed deeply, his voice nothing but a broken whisper, “I - I can't lose the first woman I’ve loved since Milah.”

The words were out of his mouth as realization dawned on him, the final piece of the puzzle fitting perfectly into place and making him see the entire image clearly. Killian looked at Liam in astonishment but instead of finding the same expression in his brother’s face, he found Liam smirking at him.

“Bloody hell, you just set me up to admit it, didn’t you?” Killian asked in bewilderment.

“Someone had to,” Liam said softly, the corner of his mouth tilting in a knowing smile.

“You _knew_? Since when?” Killian asked, baffled.

Liam shook his head from one side to another, as if he were appalled by his brother’s surprise. “Killian, you couldn’t take your eyes off her from the moment you spotted her in church,” he started, his voice soft and understanding. “Your face, it lit like I hadn’t seen in years. You smile when you are next to her, and it isn’t your smug smirk of a conquest, it’s a _genuine_ smile.”

Killian’s head flooded with images of the times he’d spent with Emma: the smiles, the tender touches, the warmth that spread through him whenever he was in her and Henry’s presence. How could have he missed the fact that he’d fallen irrevocably in love with the woman and her son?  He exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair.

“What do I do now?” he asked, meeting his brother’s eyes.

Liam clasped his hand on his shoulder. “Now you go fight for her, for _them_. But you do it with the truth.”

“The truth shall set you free, huh?” Killian asked with a raised eyebrow.

“In your words, little brother - a man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets.”

/-/

In the blink of an eye, Killian found himself knocking on the Nolan’s door, his heart beating frantically in his chest. David answered the door, a soft sigh escaping his lips when he spotted Killian.

“She’s not here, Killian,” he said.

“David, please, I need to see her,” Killian pleaded with a hint of desperation. “Whatever you think of me, please, I have to talk to her, mate.”

“It’s not that, Killian,” David stated, running a hand through his hair. He opened his mouth to say something else, but the words were cut when Henry stepped onto the front porch.

“My dad wants us back,” he said to Killian, his showing hints of apprehension as he fidgeted with his hands.

Killian’s heart sank in his chest as he met Henry’s inquisitive stare. “Henry, I-”

“Do you plan to hurt my mom?” Henry asked blatantly, the vulnerability palpable in his voice. “Because my dad left us, twice and I - I know he hurt my mom,” he trailed off, embarrassed.

Killian bent down, his eyes leveling with Henry’s, his hand resting on the lad’s shoulder. “Henry, I have no intention of hurting you or your mother. Or leaving you.” He gave Henry a tentative smile, his voice soft and reassuring. “I’d very much like for you both to be a permanent fixture in my life for as long as you’ll allow it.” Henry smiled back, the corners of his mouth tilting up and giving Killian a little encouragement to find the next words he wanted to say. “I know he’s your father and I’d never think of getting between you two, lad,” he shrugged. “I just - I’d like to be there for you, if you’d let me.”

Henry bit his lower lip before he nodded softly. “I’d like that too.”

Killian let out the breath he was holding as he stood up after squeezing Henry’s shoulder. “It seems I need to find your mother and tell her the same, see if she’d like that as well,” he said half-jokingly.

“I really don’t know where she went,” David offered apologetically. “She said she needed to drive a little to clear her head.”

“She mentioned she needed some quiet scenery, if that helps,” Henry added.

Killian’s heart beat frantically against his chest. It was a long shot, but he had to try it.

“I think I might have an idea,” he said as he turned around and hurried toward the steps.

“Killian,” David called and Killian turned to face him. “Good luck,” he said sincerely, a soft smile gracing his lips.

“Aye, thank you.”

/-/

He spotted her car parked nearby the creek, close to where he’d taken her that first Sunday afternoon they’d spent together. He could make out the lines of her figure leaning against the hood of her car, a cup of coffee nestled in her hands. He parked his car behind the bug and took a deep breath before he opened the door and got out.

If Emma noticed him, she didn’t give any indication as he slowly approached her. He rested his body against the hood of her car next to her, his eyes getting lost in the horizon in the same way hers were.

“You can’t leave, Swan,” he said softly.

A sigh escaped her lips as she placed the cup on the hood and turned to face him. “Killian, now is not the time-”

“Yes it is,” he cut her off, his eyes searching for hers desperately, but she averted her gaze.  “Please, listen to me,” he pleaded softly. “Don’t go back to him, Emma. You deserve better, you have a life here… Henry has a life. People that care for you… you can’t just -”

“David and Mary Margaret will be ok without me,” Emma interrupted him, swaying away from his proximity. He stopped her movements by placing a hand on her forearm, his fingers closing on her skin in a tentative manner.

“What about me?” his voice was nothing but a broken whisper. “What about _us_ , Swan? Is what we have so easy to cast aside for you?”

He could see a few tears threatening to escape her eyes, but she shook her head stubbornly as she removed her arm from his grasp.

“It was a fling,” she said feebly.

“This was never a fling,” Killian said, and Emma’s eyes found his. He could see the surprise in them and he forced himself to go on, to lay his cards on the table for her to decide. “I tried to convince myself, because I’m just a poor sod that lost his wife years ago and never thought he could love again. But from the moment you walked into that bar, I’ve been drawn to you, like a moth to a flame. This was not a fling for me, and it wasn’t for _you_ either,” he ventured.

He could see Emma recoil at his last words. “How do you know how _I_ feel?” she accused.

“You let me in with your son, Swan. Do you do that with a fling?” he raised an eyebrow, letting the words sink in. “You and I were at barbecues and I had my arm around you. I sat right there with you yesterday holding your hand at Saturday little league soccer, Emma!”

“I – I can’t…” she trailed off, crossing her arms around her midsection and hugging herself. Killian took a few steps towards her, his voice filled with emotion.

“You’re scared. I get it,” his fingers reached for her chin, slowly tilting it up so she could meet his eyes. “I’m scared too, Swan,” he confessed in a low voice, nothing but a whisper that travelled the small distance between them. “But I also feel as alive as I haven’t in a long time. God knows, love, I haven’t felt this scared in what feels like centuries. But I am standing here telling you that I’m willing to take a chance for the first time in years.” Killian rested his forehead against hers, taking a deep breath. “Be brave with me, love,” he pleaded.

He felt her embrace fiercely envelope him, a small sob escaping her lips as he tightened his arms around her and sank into warmth of her body, relishing in the way her arms felt around him. He breathed deeply against her neck, his hands soothingly caressing her until he felt Emma relax against him.

He pulled slowly away from her, his cheek caressing hers until he finally found her eyes. She was looking back at him, a hesitant smile gracing her lips.

“Now what?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Now the fun _really_ begins,” he traced a lock of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Are you ready to have that formal and blessed relationship in the eyes of the town?”

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “You want me to go date Graham? He seems _very_ happy with Ruby-”

“With _me_ , Swan,” his fingers traced her cheekbone. “What do you say, do I get the job?”

Her eyes darted briefly to his lips before she closed the remaining space between them, pulling him into a searing kiss.

“You can take that as a yes,” she whispered breathlessly against his lips before diving back in for another one.

And another.


	10. X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the final chapter of this story--- thank you so much for reading it!

_(The only one who could ever reach me)  
He was the sweet-talkin' brother of a preacher man_

**_A few months later_ **

The summer was bleeding out, only a few weeks left before school started again. The weather had been slightly chilly, the summer breeze feeling stronger in the evenings. But it was nice that day, the perfect temperature for a barbeque in the backyard to celebrate a housewarming.

In reality, there had already been a housewarming. Emma and Henry had moved out of the farm and into a little cottage with a front and a backyard on the outskirts of the town at the beginning of the summer. Killian had helped moved their belongings into the house, stealing kisses from Emma whenever he could and making innuendo-laced comments about how she could pay him later with certain _attentions_. His goofy smile and waggling eyebrows had been so over the top that Emma had burst out laughing before she stole a quick kiss from him and sent him on his merry way to assembly Henry’s new desk.

They’d come a long way since that Sunday afternoon when he’d begged her to stay, but it wasn’t until Emma was settled into her new house and several more weeks passed that it suddenly hit Killian how much had happened without them even noticing.

It still felt like yesterday when Emma had whispered her first _I love you_ against his skin. It was the first time she’d officially spent the night at his place and they were laying on the couch together after going to _Sherwood_ for dinner, a night spent holding hands and exchanging soft kisses. He’d smiled in contentment, reaching to tilt her chin up and meet her wide green eyes, and whispering the words back as his lips brushed hers. He repeated them the next morning over breakfast, and then took his time with her over the kitchen counter just to prove his point.

Today, months later, he found himself entering Emma’s cottage and being greeted with her warm smile as she chopped some vegetables on the kitchen counter.

“Hey,” she said softly, a calm smile gracing her lips, “Henry is playing in the backyard and dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. How was your day?” Emma seemed to notice his hesitation because her smile dropped from her lips and she looked at him in concern. “Killian, is everything ok?”

“Swan,” his throat was suddenly dry, apprehension invading him before he took a deep breath and the words left his mouth. “Love, correct me if I’m wrong, but we didn’t make arrangements for me to come here this evening, did we?”

Emma froze, her head tilted in confusion, “I don’t know, I don’t recall. But Killian, if you have other plans, if you don’t want to be here with us, then-”

He didn’t let her finish the sentence, knowing she was misinterpreting his meaning and desperate to tell his truth. “No, love,” he said as he reached for her, his arms pulling her to him, his eyes never leaving hers. “It’s quite the opposite, Swan. As far as I recall, we hadn’t talked about me coming over today. Yet, when it was time to close shop, I simply locked down the place, got in my car, and I drove here. I - I didn’t realize until I was halfway here...” he trailed off, his hand playing with her hair.

“Didn’t realize what?” Emma asked breathlessly.

“When the day was over and I thought of _home_ , I thought of coming here.” His lips curved into a smile. “To _you_. To _Henry_.”

It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink in, realization coming into her green eyes and widening them. She tilted her head to the side and Killian followed her stare to where the kitchen table was. It was already set with three plates on it.

“I didn’t even think-” Emma said, her eyes back to his, her lips curving in a soft smile of her own, “but whenever I picture being at home, I picture you being here with us.”

He swallowed, his heart beating against his chest as he leaned in. “Does this mean-?”

“Killian, would you move in with us?” Emma finished his train of thought for him.

He simply smiled, brushing his lips against hers as his answer.

And as it was, as summer ended, there was a second housewarming celebration, one in which Killian mastered the grill and welcomed his friends and family into _their_ home. It had been a small gathering, filled with laughter and good food. As the day wore on, Liam was next to Mary Margaret by the dessert table, his wandering gaze finding his brother playing ball animatedly with Henry.

“He’s happy,” Liam marveled as he witnessed Killian stealing a kiss from Emma when Henry was busy retrieving the ball. “I never thought I’d see him like this again.”

“It was so good to see them _finally_ get together _officially_ ,” Mary Margaret said, tracing patterns with her fork on her dessert.

“I thought you were rooting for Graham,” Liam said confused, his eyes darting to where the prior deputy of Storybrooke was busy talking with Regina and Robin, his hand interlaced with Ruby’s.

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes as if she’d heard the most nonsensical thing. “Graham is too much of a boy scout for Emma. It would never have worked,” she shrugged, pointing at the scene in the backyard with her fork. “Whereas Killian is just the exact mix of bad boy on the outside and absolute gentleman on the inside that was going to get to her. They just needed to meet and set everything in motion.”

There was something in her voice as she pronounced the last line that raised goosebumps in Liam. He turned to face Mary Margaret and saw the proud smile on her features.

“ _You_ orchestrated all this,” he said, surprised.

Mary Margaret leaned back and forth on her feet. “Well, I could have waited until Sunday and tried to introduce them in church. Or invite Killian over for dinner. And you and I both know that they would have fought against it, no matter how perfect they are for each other.” She tilted her head, a mischievous smile coming to her lips. “So I got a little, _creative_ , and who would ever think that Mary Margaret Blanchard, Elementary School teacher and voice of reason on the pew would ever think of such things?” She cocked an eyebrow at him, “Sometimes I get the feeling this town thinks I’m a sixty year old prude. I’m thirty, Liam. I still know what it is to have the hots for someone,” she scoffed.

Liam chuckled, bowing his head in reverence as if she were a queen. “You are a mastermind.”

“I know,” she beamed.


End file.
